Once Upon A Full Moon
by FatedFeathers
Summary: Re-inventing Twilight. From the moment Bella hits her head on the frozen ground she is completely unaware of what happened when Tyler's van hit. When she finally comes around she's not quite sure what's going on, except that she's being ushered to the ER.
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer****: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**_

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**Prologue**_**  
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_Just before I heard the shattering crunch of the van folding around the truck bed, something hit me, hard, but not from the direction I was expecting. My head cracked against the icy blacktop, and everything flickered into a blank. . . ._

**o~*iii*~o**

I was vaguely aware of voices, far, far away. Some shouted my name, another had seemed so close, almost like a dream – the voice of an angel. I never knew my name could sound so beautiful. But it was quickly ruined by rough, yet careful hands on my head, and another voice, urgent, asking me if I could hear him. It wasn't a familiar voice, but I tried to answer all the same.

"Yes," I croaked quietly.

"Bella!" someone yelled in panic. Oh, no. Charlie!

I frowned. "Char – dad?" I sounded like I had swallowed a wad of cotton; it felt like it, too.

His blurred face appeared, hovering above me. "Yeah, kiddo. I'm here." Then he was speaking to someone else, getting a rundown on my condition, and I tried to make out what they were saying, but my head was pounding and their voices seemed to tune in and out of focus. Finally I gave up, channeling all my energies instead on remembering what had happened.

I had been examining my tires, the snowchains, then there had been a screeching sound and I had whirled to find a van coming for me, sliding and spinning out of control. The last thing I remembered was Edward Cullen, standing across the lot, his face a mask of horror.

Everything had happened so fast, and then – as if to gleefully remind me, a sharp pain cut through the back of my skull when I tried to turn. _Now_ I remembered, I had hit my head.

"Stay still," the stranger's voice ordered, a hand on my shoulder keeping me in place, and I simply obeyed. Not that I could have done much. It felt as if something was restricting my entire neck and when I reached up I felt a brace of some sort.

Next thing I knew I was being moved, and again I forgot the restriction around my neck and winced at the dull pounding in my head. Great. Coming to Forks was turning into a tragedy. I wasn't even safe in the school's parking lot. And I hadn't been wrong about today being nightmarish.

When we arrived at the hospital and I was pulled out of the ambulance I could see Charlie's cruiser and I cringed, wishing a hole would open up and swallow me entirely. Of course I would get an escort. This was ridiculous – could my life be any more humiliating? Perhaps I shouldn't think like that, it would only taunt my disastrous luck to throw more embarrassment my way.

I was rolled into the emergency room, a typical layout with bleak coloring and beds lined up, then a nurse appeared to cuff me up to measure my blood pressure, and a cold thermometer was shoved under my tongue.

Just when I was saying my silent thanks that at least no one was there to witness the pathetic state I was in, another stretcher was brought into the ER and rolled into the empty spot next to mine. I held back a gasp, taking in Tyler Crowley's bloodied bandages and anxious scrutiny.

"I'm so, so sorry," he began in a gush, "I-I tried to stop... are you okay?"

I tried not to stare at his bandages still. "_Me_?" I asked incredulously, then gestured to him, "what about _you_? Are _you _all right?"

Tyler didn't seem concerned at all – even as he flinched slightly when the nurses began to fuss with his bandages, revealing several nicks and cuts beneath them – his eyes still remained trained on me. "I was so sure I'd killed you! I didn't see the ice in time, and I went _way_ too fast-"

"It's okay," I cut him off, anxious to stop his freak-out. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me." So I'd hit my head, it was nothing unusual for me. I _was_ however curious how I had survived. After all, Tyler was correct; his van should have squished me. Yet, here I was, head pounding – at least Tyler had momentarily quit his ranting. Really, with his injuries, the last thing he should fuss over was me. And then, as if he had been reading my mind, he opened his mouth again.

"How are you still-" he stopped, wincing again at the nurse cleaning his wounds, "alive?" he finished. "I didn't see you get out of the way, what happened?"

"You tell me and we'll both know," I muttered, then blanched. How ungrateful did I sound? Here I was: alive, not even a scratch on me, and that fact seemed down right depressing under the circumstances. Whereas the boy next to me had fared much, much worse. Obviously someone out there must like me, or I would have been a splattered mess under Tyler's van.

He was going to say something else, but they came to wheel me off for X-rays, even if I protested and told them that my head felt fine, a pounding headache never killed anyone – at least, not that I knew of. Unless I had an aneurysm, but somehow I doubted that. . . .

As I suspected they didn't find anything on the X-ray, they had even done a CT-scan, but I was still rolled back into the ER to suffer Tyler's constant apologies and incessant wishes – promises, more like it – to make it up to me. In the end I just turned my head – they had removed the neck brace, thankfully – and pretended to sleep. Tyler was still mumbling his 'Sorry'-s.

I heard doors open then, and my eyes popped open; young, blond and handsome, like some modern day James Dean, a doctor came around the corner – actually, he was coming straight for me. My eyes widened as he stepped up next to my bed, a friendly smile playing around his mouth. At a closer look, I noticed purplish shadows beneath his eyes and his complexion was very pale in the stark light. I couldn't help drawing a parallel between his general impression on me and Edward's. And I most definitely could not help staring.

"Miss Swan," he greeted me in a soothing and strangely appealing voice, "I'm Dr. Cullen – how do you feel?"

Edward's adoptive father?

Mentally I shook myself. "I feel fine," I replied evenly, hoping I sounded convincing enough.

He nodded in acknowledgment. "Though your X-rays are all clear, I heard you took quite a hit to the head – are you having any pains at all?"

I blinked. How would someone know how hard I hit my head? "Um, my head is fine," I said hesitantly, wondering who had seen me. Could Edward Cullen have seen it? He had been standing across the lot, after all. I could still see the horrified expression on his face.

Dr. Cullen helped me sit up then and I felt slightly woozy, until his cool fingers on my head made me flinch.

"Does it hurt?" he asked.

"No," I lied. I wasn't going to tell him that it was the cold touch that had made me flinch. But then I really did wince when he felt along the back of my skull, not able to help it.

"Are you certain? Perhaps we should keep you overnight-"

"No!" I protested quickly. "Really, I'm _fine_," I repeated, for what I prayed would be the last time.

A small laugh escaped him, the sound disconcertingly pleasant. "All right. However, I want you to promise to come back in if you're experiencing any spells of dizziness, nausea or memory-loss – this is very important, Miss Swan," he told me. "Your father is in the waiting room-" his hands shot out to steady me when I'd – in my eagerness to get out of there – slid off the bed, only to wobble on my legs, "Easy there. Are you absolutely sure you are feeling all right?" he asked now, deep concern coloring his tone.

"Fit as a fiddle, just stood up too quickly – it happens all the time," I fibbed. So I was overdoing it, but I really wanted to get out of there, and I didn't feel ill or dizzy at all.

He sighed and shook his head. "Very well. Just remember what I said and you may go home."

I paused on my way past him. "But – what about school?"

At this he smiled a wry smile. "You should go home and rest. Plus, I believe your entire school is in the waiting room," he said with humor.

"Ugh," I groaned, hiding my face in my cupped hands.

"Staying, then?" he suggested questioningly, but he sounded like it was all just a super funny joke.

"No way," I declined and steeled myself, pulling my shoulders back.

"All right. Do take some Tylenol, though, for the pain," he advised.

"Thanks," I said and started to walk off but he waved the papers at me before I had rounded the bed, which made a blush rise into my face. "Oh, right," I mumbled. It was official. This day definitely couldn't get more humiliating. "Thank you," I said, still mumbling when he handed me the signed release forms.

When I came out into the waiting room Charlie spotted me the same time I spotted him, and he made a dash for me, making me roll my eyes and sigh. He stopped in front of me, his eyes raking over me worriedly.

"Wow, kiddo, you sure know how to scare your old man."

"Dad," I protested, feeling defeated by all the times I'd tried to convince everyone of my perfectly healthy condition. The pain in my head really was fine. "I'm fine, really, I mean it. Can we just go home?"

"If the doctor says it's okay, I guess-" I cut him off by lifting the papers, giving them a little shake. "All right. Home it is."

With his arm hovering behind me he ushered me through the doors. I tried to convey my healthy state with a grin and a small wave as we passed some familiar faces from school on our way toward Charlie's cruiser. He held the door open for me and I all but dove in, surprised at the relief I felt when he closed it behind me. Usually the prospect of riding in the Chief's cruiser would result in utter mortification; but not this time. With a deep, yet contended sigh I sank back in the seat.

We rode home in relative silence until we pulled up in the driveway at the house, and Charlie informed me – quite sheepishly, and somewhat guilty-looking – that I should call Renée.

Great. "You called mom, didn't you." It wasn't a question so much as an accusation, and his expression gave me all the confirmation I needed.

Of course mom was freaking out, all but going ballistic. I thought I would never get her to calm down, but eventually I did, at which point she started begging me to come home. I reminded her that there was no 'home' to go back to, even though, in the back of my head, I was half entertaining the idea. Maybe I would? Who knows what would happen next. Perhaps a monster would jump out of the forest and eat me.

The thought cued a grim smile.

After I'd politely, but firmly, declined dinner – explaining that, after the day's events, I would just go to bed early – I dragged myself toward the stairs. It earned me an anxious glance from Charlie, which I tried to ignore, climbing the stairs quickly to brush my teeth. Before I left the bathroom I grabbed a few Tylenol from the cabinet. I felt like something the cat dragged in – not that we had a cat.

Before long I had my pajamas on and my lights out, lying back on my pillow. I tried to lie on my side so I wouldn't aggravate the lump that had formed on the back of my head. Luckily it didn't take too long for the Tylenol to start working, and when they did I began to drift off to sleep.

At least I didn't have any nightmares. Actually, I didn't dream at all.

**o~*iii*~o**

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_**Author's Note:**_

_A big thank you is in order to **Cretin **and **Tim C. Girl** for the incredible support, inspiration, and beta-ing throughout this story._


	2. Frustrations

_**Disclaimer****: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**_

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**o~*iii*~o**

**Frustrations**

Going back to school after the accident brought about all sorts of anxiety, embarrassment and general discomfort. To my great horror I was suddenly the center of attention, again.

The entire first week comprised of Tyler following me around like a lost puppy, acting like he was willing to rip down the stars in the sky to rectify having had a hand in what nearly had resulted in my untimely death. It didn't help at all that I constantly tried to remind him that I hadn't even a bump, let alone any remaining scars like he did. Not that his scars were noticeable, but the point I was trying to get across was that he had been far worse off than me.

All I wanted was for him to forget the whole thing. No such luck, though. And if that wasn't enough, our table – during lunch – was now crowded, every single day. Not sure what was worse: Mike, Eric and Tyler exchanging rivaling glances or Jessica and Lauren noticing. Again, I wanted the crust of the earth to open up and save me by dragging me down into its depths.

Dr. Cullen's words kept nagging me, though, and I'd asked everyone at our table if they had seen what exactly had happened during the accident, if they had noticed anything out of the ordinary or if they had witnessed how I'd hit my head, but they – just like Tyler – could only express their surprise, but relief, that I hadn't been killed.

As a last resort my thoughts went to Edward Cullen, who seemed to have gone back to ignoring me, completely. His overly inquisitive mannerism in Biology the day before the accident made me wonder if I hadn't, after all, just dreamed it all. That would make sense. Why would someone so obviously perfect be even remotely interested in someone so blatantly dull as me?

I decided I would confront him, regardless of the hostility I felt rolling off his person, when I sat down next to him in Biology. Again he seemed to be leaning away from me, which gave slight injury to my gathered bravery.

"Hello, Edward," I mustered in a kind voice, trying to ignore the nervous churning in my stomach.

He simply looked at me and nodded, then turned back to scowl out the window. I bit my lip, feeling a hint of irritation chipping away at my already impatient mood – Tyler was still hounding me. The latest was an offer to take me to the spring dance. Wasn't it supposed to be the girl's choice? If I had my choice I would stay as far away from a place where dancing was required as possible. It could very likely turn into a complete disaster, not to mention Tyler ending up in the ER again when I trip over his feet and break his toes. No. Dancing was not for people with two left feet.

Half way into the class Edward had to talk to me because of the lab and I took the opportunity to fire my question at him before I lost my nerve.

"I've been meaning to ask you, since no one else saw – did you see what happened during the accident?"

I hadn't expected his reaction, nor that it was possible for him to look angrier. What was his problem? Everything I did seemed to only fuel his unpleasant mood. Was it something to do with the fact that the Cullens seemed to be all but ignored? Maybe he liked being left alone. No one else but me seemed to even take much notice of him and his adopted siblings. How pathetic. Maybe that's why he was being so hostile – he just wished I would ignore him like everybody else.

Angrily I turned my head, feeling a familiar burn in my eyes.

Then he sighed. "I didn't see much, it was all too fast. I am sorry," he offered finally in a tight voice.

Waiting for whatever trace of tears to go away I stared down at my book, picking up a pen to doodle. If he hadn't seen, and I had asked everyone else who had been there, then who had told Dr. Cullen about me hitting my head? _Someone_ had seen it.

"Why do you ask?" came his smooth voice suddenly, startling me. He sounded genuinely curious again, all trace of anger gone, making me question if he didn't suffer multiple personality disorder.

Not looking at him, I answered with my gaze glued to the shapes I drew with my pen. "Dr. Cullen mentioned that someone had told him that I had hit my head pretty hard," I revealed in a quiet mumble.

When he didn't say anything for a long time I finally turned my head, only just enough to look at him from the corner of my eye. He was tense and his reluctance to answer gave me a splinter of hope. Maybe he _had_ seen something.

"You saw something," I encouraged, surprised at the confidence in my tone – spurred on by the excitement in finding out what had happened.

"No," he replied curtly which told me that the subject wasn't up for discussion.

He was lying. I just knew it – I didn't understand why, though. "I'm just curious," I pressed. "It's my head we're talking about," I also pointed out, getting braver by the second, "and I just want to thank the person who alerted the EMTs about it. No one else saw and if I'd really had a concussion it's possible I could have gotten ill, had memory loss – so it was a good thing someone told them about my head." It sounded like a rational explanation, after all, that I'd be thankful, even if I had felt humiliated and been thoroughly embarrassed about the whole thing.

Now he looked even more irritated, if that was even possible. "I informed my father about the severity of the accident, since it _was_ serious. It's just common sense that they would give you a CT-scan to rule out a possible head injury. As you stated, they can be very disadvantageous to your health." His tone was dismissive, condescending, and suddenly I felt like a child who'd been chastised for being stupid.

Then my eyes narrowed; I hadn't told anyone about the CT-scan. "You were at the hospital?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"My father does work there, and they needed witnesses," he pointed out as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and that I was being incredibly dense.

My face felt suddenly very hot and I draped the hair over my shoulder, shielding myself from his flat stare. I had never in my life met someone so infuriating. Not to mention rude and plain cold. I realized I also felt hurt beneath my anger and wondered what I had done to deserve this hostility.

When the bell finally called the class to an end I felt inexplicable relief. I wouldn't have lasted one more minute next to the frigid posture of Edward Cullen without bursting into tears, and it only spurred the anger, which always – for me – meant that the tears weren't far behind.

Just as I was gathering my books his voice interrupted me. "I am sorry," he said, sounding sincere. "I know I am being rude, but it really is for the best."

I couldn't help looking at him now, and momentarily I felt dazed, looking into his strangely colored eyes. Quickly I pulled my wits together, firing my snappy reply. "I'm sure you're _very_ sorry." Then I scooped up my books, having every intention of making a graceful departure in an air of indignation, but I should have known better – I stubbed my toe on the leg of the table in my rush to escape, my books clattering noisily to the floor.

The humiliation I felt made tears burn behind my lids and I dropped to the floor, hurriedly collecting my things when pale hands materialized to help me.

"Thank you," I snapped and yanked the book from his hands before standing and scurrying from the classroom.

Next on the schedule was gym and I very nearly decided to just skip class and go directly home. I thought better of it, though, when reminding myself what a small town this was and no doubt the Chief of Police's daughter would be on red alert by now – accident prone and all – and Charlie would find out about it before my truck would roll into our driveway.

After an hour of tripping over my own feet – and others' – I was in a foul mood, all but stomping my way across the lot to my car. Now I would have welcomed Tyler's van with open arms.

I nearly had massive heart failure when I rounded my truck to find someone – Mike, I noted after the initial shock wore off – leaning against the door.

"So," he began while I fumbled with my keys, forcing a polite smile onto my lips. Why did everyone decide to show an interest when I _wanted_ to be invisible? Oh, how I missed Phoenix.

"Jessica asked me to go to the dance with her," he said quietly.

"That's great, Mike," I offered, a little of my anger and frustration falling away. "You'll enjoy her company," I said, making myself sound supportive.

My reply didn't seem to appease him, though, and he studied me as he went on. "Well," he said slowly, "I didn't accept yet."

"Why not?" I sounded disappointed, it couldn't be helped. Already I had a hunch where this was going and I steeled myself for his answer.

He blushed then and I bit my tongue. "I was kinda wondering, or well, hoping that you would ask me."

First Tyler, now Mike. Great. Just fabulous. "Mike," I started carefully, keeping an eye on his expression, not wanting to hurt his feelings. "I think you should go with Jessica."

"Oh," he said, sounding deflated. "I guess you asked someone already."

"No." I tried to sound reassuring. "I wasn't planning on going at all."

"Why not?"

Since I wasn't about to tell him of my unfortunate lack of coordination – although it should have been obvious by now if he'd paid attention to my disastrous performance in gym today – I needed to come up with a good excuse.

"My mom's flying in to take me shopping in Seattle," I lied, hoping that my obvious scam would go unnoticed. Nobody here knew me well enough yet to tell when I was lying through my teeth, false as it sounded in my own ears.

"Ah. Okay." His dejection wasn't hard to discern and I tried to ignore the guilt I felt.

"So you should definitely go with Jessica, she'd love it if you said yes," I offered, allowing whatever enthusiasm I could manage to make it sound like a good idea.

"You think so?" he asked, looking somewhat sullen still, but at least he sounded a bit hopeful.

"Absolutely," I assured him, feeling better when his face lifted, if only slightly.

"You're right. I'll talk to Jessica," he agreed and I fought back the sigh of relief. "Well, see you tomorrow, Bella."

Mike walked off just as Edward passed the front of my truck, looking straight ahead, his lips pressed together in a tight line. Irritation seeped back in and I all but yanked the door open, then slammed it shut behind me. My truck came to life with a roar and I revved the engine a bit extra, giving in to the childish part of me that wished Edward would know it was aimed at him.

I was reversing into the aisle but he was quicker, sliding out of his parking space skillfully to cut me off. Then he just stopped there. I craned my neck and saw his adoptive siblings walking toward him. It felt like they were coming in slow motion just to be irritating, and when I looked in my rearview I could see a line forming, Tyler Crowley in the lead. He had acquired another car, an old Sentra, and he was waving at me.

The entirety of the Forks population would soon be conspiring to annoy me. Granted, that shouldn't scare me; it's not like the size of the town's population was intimidating. Not to mention, I wasn't easily frightened.

I wasn't paying attention to much, trying to avoid looking at the car in front of me, so I jumped when there was a knock on my window. It was Tyler. With a quick glance in the rearview I saw that his car was idling, the door left open and I leaned across to wind down the window – it took some effort and I gave up about half way.

"I'm sorry," I said with a sigh. "Cullen cut me off."

"I know," he said, seemingly unfazed. "Just wanted to check in to see if you've made your decision... seeing as we're stuck here for a while." He grinned while gesturing toward the silver Volvo in front of me.

This wasn't funny anymore.

"So – are you going to ask me to the spring dance or not?" he continued.

The energy to keep irritation out of my voice had been depleted and I hoped Tyler wouldn't be offended by my curtness. My patience had officially been tested to the limit.

"I'm not going," I said. "I'll be in Seattle that day."

"Yeah, I heard."

I blinked in confusion. They were vultures. That was the only possible explanation.

"If you knew, then why-"

"I thought you might just be letting Mike down easy," Tyler cut in casually, shrugging.

Unbelievable.

"Well, I'm sorry," I said. "I _am_ going to Seattle."

"No big deal – we've still got prom." He flashed me a broad grin and winked before walking off to his car, leaving me gaping after him. The shock I felt made me look forward in a daze, meeting the reflection of Edward in his rearview mirror. There wasn't a doubt in my mind – he was shaking with laughter, as if he had been listening in on every word that had passed between me and Tyler.

I tapped the accelerator, my truck roaring at the stupid, shiny Volvo in front of me. Just a small scratch, I thought pettily. But before I could act on it, the rest of the Cullen siblings had filed into the car and they sped off in a flash. Ugh.

When I got home I busied myself with dinner right away, taking care when slicing the potatoes so I wouldn't cut myself. By the time I had the potato gratin in the oven, my mood was greatly improved. I wiped down the counter then rinsed the cutting board, before getting started on the crumb mix for the schnitzels.

The phone rang while I was chopping tomatoes for the salad – it was Jessica. While I shredded the lettuce, she gushed about Mike finally having caught up with her to accept her invitation. Again I felt relief and even joined in on her enthusiasm, until she ruined it by asking me who I was going with, forcing me to, once again, lie about my trip to Seattle. Soon all of Forks would know and it meant I might actually have to go through with it – I wasn't so sure how Charlie would react to that.

Not long after I had finished the salad and Jessica had let me off the phone, Charlie came home, sniffing the air appreciatively as he entered the kitchen.

"What's cooking, Bells?"

"Pork schnitzel and potato gratin," I replied, getting the milk and butter for the bread out of the fridge while he shrugged out of his jacket, then draped it over the back of a chair.

"Smells good – how was school?" he asked and seated himself by the table, as he grabbed a piece of bread and buttered it.

The grimace appeared on my face before I could stop it, which made him eye me skeptically when my reply contradicted it. "Great, dad."

He raised an eyebrow. "I'll say." There was no fooling Charlie. "They're not giving you a hard time, are they? I can have a talk with-"

"No!" The thought of my dad talking to someone at school – let alone setting foot anywhere near it – sent a wide array of emotions through me. Among others, utter mortification. "Dad, it's fine, really. It's just – with the accident and all – I'm not used to so much attention." It was, at least, partial honesty. I wasn't going to discuss boy-problems with him. Not that Edward Cullen was a boy-problem, he was more of a... nuisance. A splinter in my eye that wouldn't go away.

I didn't understand why I even bothered letting him upset me, who was he to me? No one, that's who he was. Maybe I put too much stock in the way he'd shown interest in my uneventful life, only to be disappointed when he had gone back to ignoring me.

It shouldn't bother me. I had only been here a couple of weeks, not even that. I couldn't expect to find a good friend just like that, let alone someone so obviously out of my league as Edward Cullen.

Also, I fiercely missed Phoenix, and my life there. Even more, I missed my scatterbrained mother. To assume that I could settle in and find my bearings within the span of two weeks was unrealistic, to say the least; especially since I'd yet to develop a fondness for this town. It was more of a prison sentence, so far, than anything else.

Actually I was here for Renée I reminded myself. It was the least I could do after all the time she had sacrificed and stayed home, when I knew that what she had really wanted was to go on the road with Phil.

Charlie was still keeping his eyes on me, and even if he didn't say anything I could tell his mind was ticking, trying to figure me out. So I decided to steer it in a different direction.

"I was thinking of going up to Seattle next Saturday," I began casually, "if that's okay with you?"

"Seattle," he repeated, disapproval coloring his tone. "That's a bit far, don't you think? What's wrong with Port Angeles?"

There was nothing wrong with Port Angeles, but it was too close, and I wouldn't have the convenient excuse to not make it back in time for the dance. I couldn't tell him that, though.

"Nothing, except that they would have a wider selection of stores in Seattle." This was a dud. I was shooting myself in the foot before I even started; Charlie was seeing right through me. I could feel him poking around in my head, dragging the scam right out of me.

Then he surprised me... and scared me.

"I could come with you, if you want?"

"Um, I doubt you'll like it. I'll probably be spending most of my time in dressing rooms," I told him, seeing him changing his mind before the words came out.

"Oh, well, in that case," he said, grinning. Didn't think that the thought of hanging around in clothes shops would appeal to him much.

"Is that a yes?" I asked, uncertain of whether he was agreeing or mulling it over still.

"Are you going to be back in time for the dance?" he asked instead.

Detesting Forks didn't quite cut it anymore; I was beyond detesting. This wasn't happening. Only in _Forks_ would a _father_ know about school dances. Well, it didn't exactly work in my favor that he was _also_ the Chief of Police, which meant he knew things before anyone else did. Even if the time in between was probably only a matter of minutes.

"Dad," I mumbled, feeling embarrassed now. "I don't dance." He, my own father, of all people, should know very well of my disagreement with gravity.

I saw the lights come on in his eyes, and rolled mine in response before he answered. "Oh, right. Got it." He offered me a sheepish grin.

At least he approved my trip. Now I just had to figure out my route, seeing as my truck was everything but economical in regards to the gas-consumption.

When I arrived at the school the next morning I deliberately parked as far away from the silver Volvo as possible to avoid the temptation to nudge it. I did have some spare cash thanks to Charlie buying me the truck, but it was nowhere near enough to buy a new paint-job for that flashy car.

Once out of my truck, I was fumbling with my keys when they dropped into a puddle at my feet. I was just about to bend down to pick them up when suddenly pale hands flashed out and beat me to it. With a jerk I stood upright. There was Edward Cullen, dangling the keys in a taunting manner, leaning casually against my truck.

How did he always manage to do that?

"Where did you come from?" I asked suspiciously while holding out my hand.

He dropped the keys into my palm. "My car," he replied in that smooth, nonchalant way of his that always made me feel like I was missing the obvious.

"Right," I said, shoving the keys into my jacket.

"It's not a fault of mine that you're incredibly unobservant," he said, seemingly taking perverse pleasure in pointing out, once again, my stupidity. This was quickly becoming old, and it now bordered on victimization. What on earth had I done to him? And _why_ did he insist on talking to me at all, if he only sought to ridicule me?

"I guess the traffic jam yesterday was another attempt at poking fun at me," I shot back, scowling at his serene face. I noted, somewhat dazed suddenly, that his eyes were much lighter today. Like honey. Mentally I was shaking myself again, feeling strangely taken off guard.

Edward was sniggering now. "Oh that – that was all in Tyler's honor. After all, he should have his chance, too."

My mind was boggling. "You..." There were no words, and the anger that surged through me made me feel very hot suddenly. I couldn't believe it, but it only seemed to amuse him _more_.

"I was doing the boy a favor," he continued, ignoring what should be obvious: I wanted him to go away, and _stay_ away. I couldn't speak, that's how angry I was. "Has Eric asked you yet?" he asked finally, a smirk firmly in place.

Fury – red and hot. That's all I knew.

"That is _none_ of your business!" I snapped angrily and walked around him, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

"Wait," he called out, but I kept walking, my angry steps making water splash up on my jeans. But he easily kept up, walking next to me. "I am sorry," he said, sounding remorseful, but I wasn't buying it this time. "I was rude," he continued, "even if it's quite obvious the boy is itching to ask you."

"Why are you following me?" I asked, ignoring his persistence in keeping tabs on my suitors.

He chuckled. "Because the school is this way," he pointed out simply.

This time he didn't need to make me feel stupid, I did it all on my own.

"Have a pleasant day, Miss Swan," he told me before veering to the left once we arrived on the actual school premises. I ignored his cheerful well-wishes and continued walking toward class.

Due to my consuming anger and irritation I didn't realize until I got into the classroom that they had already started.

"Thank you for joining us, Miss Swan," said Mr. Mason in a disapproving tone, and in a flush I hurried to my seat.

Mike wasn't in his usual seat next to me and I felt a slight sense of guilt. But all the same he and Eric met me at the door and walked with me to the next class once English was over. As we walked he relaxed and became himself, talking enthusiastically about the weather report for the weekend.

Apparently they – the usual group I sat with at lunch – had a beach trip planned, and if the forecast held up its promises they wouldn't have to cancel. Mike went on to invite me along to which I found myself readily accepting. This would be good. The prospect of having to spend yet another weekend locked up in Charlie's house wasn't all too appealing, and there was no way I would be making friends by bundling up on the sofa with my well worn copy of _Wuthering Heights_.

With or without rain, though, the temperatures would still be in the high forties, meaning I'd have to dig out some extra warm clothes. In spite of myself I found that I was now looking forward to the weekend – as opposed to it just being another pause in the boring movie that was my life – and the rest of the morning passed rather quickly.

During lunch Jessica and Lauren kept a steady flow of plans for the dance, and I also found out that the rest of the boys had been snapped up. This sent a flood of relief through me and I couldn't help but glance over to the table where the Cullens sat, thinking of Edward's comment about Eric.

The Cullens seemed engrossed in a grave discussion, their faces serious masks. I tried not to stare but it was difficult since I found myself fascinated by how alike they looked, despite their obvious differences. Maybe they had trouble sleeping. It could be possible that they were – just like me – merely living out a sentence since they had no other choice. I, myself, knew that sleeping in Forks with the constant patter of the rain and the dank cold that seemed to seep into my very bones caused for bad nights.

Whatever reason, it was obvious that they were lacking in something; they all had those dark shadows beneath their eyes, and my best bet for now was lack of sleep. I felt empathy. But then Edward turned his head in my direction, and he narrowed his eyes, making me avert mine as I suddenly felt uncomfortable under his stare.

I wasn't looking forward to next class – Biology – which meant that I'd have to sit next to Edward again. No wonder the spot next to him had been vacant. I couldn't imagine anyone willingly submitting themselves to his vicious scrutiny. But I wasn't going to ask anyone to switch, that would be incredibly selfish. If I could save someone else from him then that was a price I would willingly pay.

I wasn't going to let it get to me anymore. I wouldn't be a coward.

Then, to my great relief, but also slight disappointment – I was looking forward to proving that he couldn't treat people the way he did, after all – I walked into class to find Edward's spot empty.

Shortly after Mr. Banner came into the room and called the class to order. In his arms were a few small cardboard boxes, and he put them down in front of Mike, telling him to pass them around the class.

As he began to explain today's assignment, I felt the blood drain from my face. We were going to do blood-testing. I nearly jumped in my seat when he snapped the rubber gloves into place that he'd pulled out of his lab coat.

When he presented what I surmised was the "needle" that we'd prick ourselves with my stomach did a flip, and I watched him warily as he walked around the class with the dropper to prepare our cards. Once he'd completed the circuit, and came back to stand at the front, he announced what we were supposed to do next, then proceeded to demonstrate by grabbing Mike's hand.

"You want to carefully prick your finger with the lancet," he said, then punctured Mike's middle finger.

Oh please. My forehead felt clammy suddenly.

Whatever he was saying didn't really register as I continued to stare at that finger. When he squeezed it and a small amount of blood oozed from the pinprick, I had to swallow repeatedly against the heaving of my stomach.

I wasn't paying attention anymore, instead I had closed my eyes, focusing on keeping the contents of my stomach down. Eventually the side of my face found its way to the cool tabletop where I fought to hold onto my consciousness. The squeals and complaints, laughter and giggles echoed through my head, but they sounded awfully far away.

Mr. Banner's alarmed voice sounded in my ear. "Bella, are you all right?"

"I already know my bloodtype, Mr. Banner," I told him weakly, not daring to lift my head.

"Do you feel faint?"

"Yes, sir," I replied in a quiet voice. Humiliation was to be a constant state of mine, it would seem.

"All right," he said gently. "I want someone to take Bella to the nurse, please," he called to the class.

I shouldn't have been surprised that Mike would volunteer.

"Are you able to walk?" Mr. Banner asked then.

"Yes," I whispered. I'd crawl if I had to. All I wanted was to get out of there.

Mike was all too eager to put his arm around my waist and he hooked my arm over his shoulder as he pulled me up. I leaned against him heavily while he guided me out of the classroom.

This was so embarrassing, I thought, as we made our way across campus. At the edge of the cafeteria, well out of Mr. Banner's view I asked Mike to stop.

"Please let me sit for a minute," I begged him and he readily helped me sit down on the edge of the paved walkway. "And keep your hand in your pocket," I warned him. My head was spinning and I slumped to the side, pressing my cheek against the damp chill of the cement. It helped a little and I closed my eyes.

"Bella, you look green," Mike commented nervously.

"What's going on – is she all right?" called a voice that I recognized all too well, but I hoped that my weakened state was just making me delusional. "Is she hurt?" the voice continued in alarm, sounding closer now. Oh no. This wasn't happening. Please don't let me throw up, I pleaded mentally, squeezing my lids firmly shut.

Mike's stressed voice hovered above me. "I think she passed out. I don't know what happened, she didn't even stick her finger yet."

"Bella." Edward's voice was close now, he sounded relieved. Why wouldn't he just leave me alone? "Are you alive?"

"No," I whined. "Go away."

Of course he was laughing at me.

"I was supposed to take her to the nurse," Mike explained a bit defensively, "but she wanted to rest."

"Don't worry yourself. I'll take her," Edward said in a calming voice. "You can return to class."

"No," Mike protested. "Mr. Banner is expecting me to help her, so I'm doing it."

It couldn't get much worse than this. "Mike will take me," I said, but I didn't sound nearly as assuring as I'd hoped.

All of a sudden the sidewalk disappeared from beneath me, and my lids fluttered open in shock. Against all things even imaginable Edward had scooped me up and was now carrying me easily toward the nurse's station.

"Put me down!" I hissed, struggling feebly against him. Not only was his grip on me incredibly strong, but he was oddly... firm.

"Hey! What are you doing!" Mike called out from behind me.

Edward was paying him no mind. "You look terrible," he told me instead with a grin. Certainly he would find this enjoyable; I shouldn't even be surprised.

"Put me down," I repeated miserably, pleadingly, the rocking movement not doing much for my already unsettled stomach. He wasn't only ignoring Mike.

"Blood makes you faint?" he asked, completely disregarding me, but sounding amused.

"What part of 'put me down' don't you understand?"

"And not even your own," he continued, taking liberty in enjoying himself at my expense.

I was done; I had no idea what to say or do to make him listen. Nothing I did seemed to faze him, so instead I focused on fighting the nausea roiling in my stomach. The sudden change in temperature told me that we were inside.

Then I heard the gasp of a female. "Oh dear."

"She fainted in Biology," Edward clarified.

I opened my eyes in time to see Ms. Cope, the redheaded receptionist, look up from her novel in astonishment while another woman rushed ahead to hold the door open as Edward swung me through, only to set me down on the cot in the room. He then proceeded to position himself to the far corner, but his eyes were alive with excitement.

"They were blood typing in Biology," he explained to the nurse who had moved over to fuss over me.

"There's always one," she said sympathetically then looked down at me, a gentle smile on her lips. "Just rest for a moment, sweetie; soon you'll be right as rain."

I was still in too much shock to answer so I just nodded. I then looked over at Edward, whose eyes were still on me, still smiling. There was something seriously wrong with that guy. If he didn't have multiple personality disorder then some other mental disorder ailed him. What other explanation could there be?

Edward was speaking with the nurse now who had told him that he was free to leave, but he insisted that he stay, and for whatever reason the nurse didn't argue with him, even if she pursed her lips. She left the room momentarily to get me some ice for my forehead, which made me feel deeply uncomfortable. I didn't want to be alone with Edward Cullen; especially not if he really was mentally unstable.

Then I chastised myself, rationalizing that he wouldn't be going to a normal school if he had a severe medical condition. Maybe the explanation was really simple: he was a first class jerk.

"Why are you still here?" I asked. I was beginning to feel a little better, and as soon as I could stand up I wanted to walk out of here without him watching my every movement. It was still a mystery to me why he continued to follow me. No matter where I went he showed up.

"Making sure you are recovering," he said simply.

"I feel much better, you really don't have to stay," I said, "I'll be fine."

"Oh, no. Not a chance," he said, full of authority. "I'm going to make sure you get out of here safely. Besides, that Newton kid looked like he was ready to drag you off into the woods to bury you; he might still be out there," he said ominously, "waiting for his chance."

I stared at Edward. Was he serious? "Very funny," I retorted humorlessly.

"Honest," he said, raising his hands. "Corpses have better color than you did. I was already working out a plan to avenge your murder."

I suddenly felt very sorry for Mike. "That's not a very nice thing to say," I accused. "Mike was just trying to help me," I offered in his defense.

The nurse returned then with a cold compress and laid it across my forehead. "Here you go, sweetie. You look much better," she complimented with a gentle smile.

"I think I'm fine now," I replied and began to sit up. The nurse was just about to stop me when Ms. Cope poked her head in the door.

"We have another one," she warned in a low voice.

Instantly I slid off the cot, vacating it for the next patient.

Then I handed the compress back to the nurse. "Thank you, but I don't need it anymore."

Just as she'd taken the compress off me, Mike came through the door, supporting a very sallow looking Lee Stephens, another boy from our class. He didn't look very good at all and I backed up against the wall next to Edward, giving them space.

"Uh oh," Edward said. "Bella – leave the room."

Confused I looked up at him. "What?"

"Just go," he urged. That's when I caught that icky rusty smell, and I caught the door before it swung closed. Edward was right behind me as I escaped.

"You didn't question me," he said, stunned, when we stopped outside in the office.

"I smelled the blood," I explained with a grimace.

This made his brows furrow. "People can't smell blood," he countered.

"Sure they can," I insisted. "At least _I_ can; it smells like... rust and salt."

Edward stared at me with an incomprehensible expression on his face.

"What?" I asked feeling self-conscious.

"Nothing."

Mike came out from the room, his eyes drifting between me and Edward. He didn't look one bit happy, making me feel guilty.

"You look better," he said glumly.

"I feel better," I confirmed. "But keep your hand in your pocket," I reminded him with a warning tone.

"I stopped bleeding a long time ago," he said defensively. "You going back to class?"

I couldn't help scoffing. "Yeah right. I'd have to come straight back here."

"Guess you're right," he agreed. "So are you coming with us on Saturday? To the beach?"

"I already said I was," I reminded him, feeling irritated at Edward again. If it hadn't been for him then Mike wouldn't be so sullen.

"We're all meeting up at my dad's store at ten." He still kept glancing suspiciously at Edward and I wondered why he hadn't left yet. There was obviously no need for him to stay, since I was all better now. Not that I understood at all why he cared.

"I'll be there," I promised, forcing a smile onto my lips.

"See you in Gym," he said, hesitating before moving toward the door, throwing another wary glance in Edward's direction. Mike's shoulders sagged slightly as he disappeared through the door. Again I felt bad for him, which only fueled my negative emotions for Edward.

"Well, I'm leaving. Thank you for your help," I offered politely but stiffly, not feeling the need to muster any kindness for his sake, then I walked out the door after Mike.

I had just made it a few feet into the dank air when suddenly something caught my jacket and I was yanked back.

"Not so fast," came Edward's irritated voice.

"What?" I nearly spat.

"Gym, Bella? Really, you just recovered from a fainting spell and you're going to run off and stumble all over yourself?"

My cheeks flamed. The nerve! "Now you listen here," I bit out through my teeth, adrenaline pumping through my veins. How dare he grab me like that? Who was he? "What's your _problem_?" I demanded in a muted hiss.

Edward looked angry now, too, his eyes seemed to darken – however that was possible. "My problem?" He laughed without humor. "I'm not the one who's in complete disregard for my own health."

I didn't know how to answer him, and something about the way he was looking at me caused a strange sensation to run through me. If I didn't know better I'd say it was fear. But that was completely insane. Maybe his strange mood swings were rubbing off on me?

"Let go of me," I said, but what had been intended as an order came out more like a plea, which also made no sense. Not only did I feel fear, but my voice was trembling, too.

Edward almost jerked back, releasing my jacket abruptly.

"Hey!" Mike called out.

The next thing Edward did, left me in a total sense of bewilderment: he ran off.

"Hey," Mike's voice was closer and I could hear his hurried footsteps on the footpath, above the pounding in my ears. My heart was beating very quickly, which I hadn't even noticed until now.

"Are you okay? What happened?" he sounded both angry and concerned at the same time.

"I'm fine," I assured him, but my voice was still weak and I was staring down toward the parking lot now, seeing the flash of the silver Volvo as it sped off.

"That Cullen's a freak," Mike muttered. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No," I mumbled. "He was just trying to be thoughtful I guess." No he wasn't. Why was I defending him? Something was off, I didn't feel right.

"One heck of a way of showing it," Mike said with a snort.

"Maybe he was right and I shouldn't go to Gym."

I turned to Mike, offering him an apologetic smile.

"You should go back to the nurse and get a note. I'll take it to Gym for you," he offered and I just nodded, trying to collect my scattered thoughts.

Mike's hand was on my back then, guiding me forward.

Returning to Biology hadn't even been necessary for a reprise; getting my jacket yanked by Edward had been enough to weird me out. There had been something in those eyes, though – strange as they were – and his close proximity had made me feel... exhilarated.

The response was completely irrational, and on my way home from school, I came to the conclusion that I would take extra care from now on to stay as far away from Edward Cullen as possible.

**o~*iii*~o**


	3. Legends

_**Disclaimer****: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**_

* * *

**o~*iii*~o**

**Legends**

After I arrived home from school that day I instantly occupied myself with preparing dinner. I dug out some noodles from the pantry and a couple of cans of tuna, deciding to stick to nice and easy. Tuna Casserole was one of the few things Renée actually managed to handle without too much drama. Except for that one time when she had dumped half the contents of the saltshaker into the mix – by accident, of course, or so she'd insisted.

Charlie was, again, impressed with my attempt, even if I felt that, due to the memory of Renée's mishap, I'd not been liberal enough with the spices.

We ate in relative silence, and when I started moving around the kitchen to clean up, Charlie protested and told me to leave it. I didn't mind, really. It helped to keep me occupied and prevented my thoughts from wandering to the strange impression Edward had left on me.

But Charlie was adamant and insisted that he would take care of the dishes, which left me with no other option but to drag myself upstairs to read a book. Then I changed my mind and decided to sit down and write an e-mail to Renée; I'd always had her to talk to when I came home from school, and while I was sure Charlie would happily give it a try, I didn't want to bother him when he was watching his sports.

I told her about my plans to go to La Push on Saturday with some of the kids from school, but I also mentioned that I was skeptical of the weather making it a pleasant outing. Then, for a long while, I just sat there without sending. I realized that I didn't have much to say. Unless I told her about Edward Cullen.

Knowing Renée, she would freak out, then she'd call Charlie, and that would result in an interrogation, followed by a visit to my school. I could just see the Chief of Police's cruiser pulling up at school, and the mere thought caused an all out onslaught of panic. No. Telling Renée was out of the question.

Jessica, I had learned very quickly, was a gossip-queen, and I didn't even want to think about the rumors that would spread. Then I remembered that Mike had witnessed how Edward had grabbed me and suddenly I was scared that he would tell Jessica.

I hadn't thought that I could feel any less enthusiastic about going to school than I already did, but combined with my fainting spell in Biology and then the prospect of Mike having spilled the beans about Edward, I almost didn't leave for school the next day.

Almost. But I did go. I was too much of a coward to ditch.

To my great relief Mike had kept his mouth closed, although I received plenty of comments about fainting.

I didn't even glance at the Cullens during lunch; instead I sneaked a peek at Mike from time to time, since he seemed more interested in them than usual. He didn't look one bit too happy.

Jessica nudged Mike when he missed a question. "Um, hello – earth to Mike?"

His eyes drifted to mine before they settled on Jessica. "Sorry, what?"

She let out a frustrated sigh. "Why is everyone suddenly so fascinated with them?" she whined, shooting a scornful look in their direction. "It's not like we haven't seen them before or anything," she continued in a grating voice.

"Everyone?" I asked.

Her eyes narrowed. "You especially – I see how you watch them. You're wasting your time," she said curtly. "They don't care about anyone but themselves."

Mike gave me a sympathetic look, then turned to Jessica. "So you're saying that you never had the hots for Cullen?"

"For all of ten seconds until I realized what a douche he is," she retorted icily.

Tyler laughed. "So defensive, Jess. I guess anyone who doesn't show an interest in you is a douche, then."

"Jerk," she hissed, scowling.

"He _is_ hot," Lauren interjected. "What's wrong with that? Doesn't mean she's pining over him like Swan obviously is," she defended Jessica, glaring at Tyler.

My cheeks flamed. "I'm not!" I protested.

"I bet you've got a secret thing going," she continued in an annoyingly nasal voice. "It's obvious how he's staring at you all the time."

I stiffened. "That's not _my_ problem. I'm _not_ interested."

"If she says she's not interested then just leave it at that," Mike cut in defensively.

"Whatever," Lauren snipped.

The guys soon started talking about our beach trip for the next day, and since Mike had given up on staring at the Cullens, they were soon forgotten. Lauren and Jessica joined in on the plans and by the time lunch was over we all left the cafeteria in a good mood, excited about Saturday.

That night at dinner, I told Charlie about the plans to go to La Push with a few of the kids from school and he seemed thrilled at the idea. He probably felt guilty for leaving me alone so much, but I understood that he'd spent many years getting into his habits and I didn't expect him to break them for me.

Charlie knew all of the kids I was going with, of course, and he was very approving of the outing.

It wasn't my alarm that woke me the next morning. I had meant to sleep in, but my room was bathed in an unusual brightness which made me bound out of bed and hurry to the window.

Unbelievable. Mike's trust in the local weatherman had been justified and I sighed in contentment as the rays skittered across my skin. The sun might have been lower in the sky than I was used to, and further away – smaller, somehow. But none the less it was shining, which meant that I was going to the beach, and I was really excited about it.

The Newtons' Olympic Outfitters store was located just north of town, and it didn't take me long to get there. I'd never actually been to it – I wasn't the hiking kind of girl, especially not with my sense of balance, or lack thereof – but I'd passed by it a few times.

When I pulled into the parking lot, I spotted Mike's Suburban and Tyler's Sentra. There was a group standing around and I recognized most of them. Eric was there with another couple of boys I recognized from class; if I remembered correctly their names were Ben and Conner.

Then, of course, Jessica and Lauren were there, together with Angela and another three girls I hadn't met yet; their faces were familiar though. Probably from class, too, I thought. As I stepped out of my truck I remembered one of the girls as one I had tripped over in Gym, and she sent me a dirty look, making me quickly avert my eyes.

Mike, as usual, was happy to see me, at least.

"Bella! You came!" he called out, sounding excited. "Didn't I tell you it would be sunny?"

I grinned. "You sure did."

"Lee and Samantha should be here soon," he continued. "We can leave when they get here, unless you invited someone," he added less enthusiastically.

Who would I invite?

"It's just me," I assured him and his smile brightened.

"Will you go in my car? Or there's Lee's mom's minivan."

"Sure, I'll go with you."

Mike's smile turned almost blissful, and it was hard not to smile back. It was so easy to make him happy. But it came at a cost; Jessica didn't look nearly as satisfied as Mike.

Soon everyone had arrived and every seat was occupied when we drove off.

La Push was only about fifteen miles from Forks, and the drive was – despite the crammed up space in the car – very pleasant. As the road wound ahead I looked out the window at the lush, green forests that flew past, and the wide Quillayute River snaked beneath us twice. Luckily I had the window seat and I rolled the window down after a while, feeling slightly claustrophobic. I closed my eyes and leaned back in the seat, soaking up as much of the sun as possible.

It wasn't the first time I'd been to the beaches around La Push. I'd spent many summers there with Charlie, so when the mile-long curve of First Beach appeared in my view I couldn't help but smile a little. It was still familiar to me, and just as breathtaking as always.

The dark water, capped with white, contrasted beautifully against the rainbow-like sand, which really wasn't just sand. Only the strip closest to the water was finely grained; then as you drew back from the water the pebbles grew in size and variation of color, from terracotta and cerulean, to lavender and steel.

Islands rose up through the waves with steep cliff sides, the summits uneven, and atop the shelves stood proud firs, reaching majestically into the sky.

All along the beach, strewn out, lay larger and smaller pieces of silvery, gnarled driftwood. Some formed strange patterns and shapes, while others merely dug into the sand, as the major portions of them had been submerged with coming and going of the tides.

We made our way down to the beach, Mike in the lead, guiding us to a circular formation of driftwood logs that had obviously been placed there for similar purposes as we were about to use them for. In the middle was already a fire pit, the amount of black ashes speaking of frequent use. Eric and – I think – Ben, began to collect twigs and branches and before too long we had a teepee like construction ready on top of the old cinders.

I was sitting on one of the logs when Mike came to hunch down in front of me, fingering a cigarette lighter in his hand.

"Have you ever seen one of these bonfires before?" he asked.

"_These_? Are there different bonfires?"

Mike gave me a mysterious smirk. "Yeah, driftwood fires – watch this," he instructed and flicked the lighter, lighting a thin twig he'd pulled out of the collection of wood. When it had ignited he held it to the cone-like formation, glancing at me excitedly.

The flames quickly began to lick upward, and soon I could see what he was talking about.

"It's blue," I said in quiet fascination, genuinely surprised.

"It's the salt," Mike explained. "Pretty neat, huh?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "It's pretty."

Mike fished out another smaller branch to light that, too, before walking around the other side to shove it into the stack. He came back to sit down next to me and we both watched as the blue and green flames danced along the silvery branches, flickering harmoniously in the breeze.

Jessica came to seat herself on Mike's other side and soon claimed his attention, but I was still watching the strange color of the fire, mesmerized. My face tingled from the radiating heat.

About half hour later, a few boys had grouped up, getting ready for a small hike to the tidal pools. While they had always fascinated me as a child, I wondered if it weren't asking a bit much for me to tag along; there was still that issue with my balance, and Charlie wasn't here to hold onto me anymore, should I trip and go for a nose dive.

Lauren, however, made my decision an easy one. She wasn't prepared for hiking. Needless to say her shoes weren't appropriate for jutting roots and mossy undergrowth, which the short path through the forest promised. I waited a while until Tyler and Eric had sat down with Lauren, committing themselves to keep her company, then I jumped up to join the pro-hikers. Mike flashed me a wide grin when he saw that I was coming along.

The distance to the tidal pools wasn't great, and after having tripped several times, I eventually broke through the dense foliage and back onto the rocky shoreline.

Spread out across the pebbled surface were my team mates, the brave hikers. I counted myself as one, or maybe I was just stupid for wanting to best the scattered pools, never fully draining; I kept myself closer to the ones that, should I fall in, wouldn't be hazardous to my health.

While I perched on a jagged edge, I was vaguely aware of the laughter and ruckus around me, the splashing of water and clamoring when one of the boys picked up some seaweed and threw it carelessly into the wind. I stifled back a laugh of my own when I saw it hit the poor girl I had tripped over in Gym.

Carefully I lowered myself, still balancing recklessly close to the edge of the pool where I studied the flutter of life in the clear water. The starfish were really pretty, and I had always liked to watch them. It was safe; they were stuck, motionless, to the rocky bottom, requiring no craning or movement from me to follow them, unlike the little crabs that skittered along the edges.

After some time the boys finally lost out to their hunger and we headed back to eat.

I tripped twice as bad on the way back, ending up with quite a few grass stains on my jeans and a few cuts and nicks on my palms. Nothing unusual.

When we got back to First Beach I noticed that the group we'd left behind had doubled, but at a closer look it was easy to distinguish the black hair and coppery skin of the newcomers. By the looks of things, a few teenagers from the reservation had decided to come out and join us.

Food was already being passed around, and I returned to my seat, snatching a few corn chips from a bag that Mike had in his hands, before sitting down next to him.

"Thanks," I said with a sheepish grin. "Hope you don't mind."

Mike looked all too happy at the liberty I had taken. "It's here to be eaten," he said, grinning back.

All this fresh air and finding that I was enjoying myself, immensely so, had lifted my spirits and for the first time since arriving in Forks, I felt parts of me beginning to relax.

I looked up when Eric, while gesturing, rambled the names of the new kids, the only ones sticking were a girl's name, because her name was also Jessica, and Jacob, since he had looked up at me in interest when I had returned from the hike.

While we all ate, the clouds began to bunch up in the sky, the sun played hide and seek, which cast long shadows along the beach and on our gathering.

Before long they all seemed to form smaller groups, that headed off in different directions, until almost all had scattered. The only ones remaining were Lauren and Tyler who had their heads bent together, discussing a CD, and two boys from the reservation – Jacob being one of them. The other one didn't really look like a boy, but a young man, his frame much taller and somehow his dark eyes seemed almost guarded as he glanced warily up and down the beach.

I noticed that Jacob had stood up and was coming toward me now. He looked to be fourteen, maybe fifteen, with his black, shiny hair pulled back with a rubber band. The tone of his skin was a warm russet; it looked so smooth and beautiful that I self consciously tugged at the sleeves of my jacket to keep myself from reaching out to see if it were as smooth as it looked.

His eyes, set deep above the high planes of his cheekbones, were dark but inquisitive, and there was only the slightest roundness to his chin; another telltale sign confirming my estimation of his age. Regardless, there was no denying that it was a very attractive face. Not only that; there was something familiar about it, too.

"Hi, Bella," he said, in a pleasant husky tone.

He'd have to know who I was, or else he wouldn't have called me 'Bella', which made me feel stupid for not recognizing him.

"Um, hi, Jacob," I greeted him back. I was grateful to Eric now that he'd introduced their names or I would have felt extremely dumb.

"You don't remember me, do you?" He didn't sound upset.

I could feel my cheeks warm up. Great. "Sorry," I said, genuinely apologetic. "You look familiar but, no, I don't."

"Aw," he said as his full lips puckered into a small pout, which made him look even younger. "I'm heartbroken," he said dramatically with his hand on his chest.

My face was definitely hot. Come on – think, Bella, think. "Um..." Wow.

The sad face disappeared and he grinned. "Hey, it's cool – you would probably remember my sisters better, since our dads made you play together while they went fishing."

Then it clicked.

"Jacob Black! Billy's son!"

Jacob cracked the biggest smile and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Now she remembers," he teased lightly.

I gave out a little indignant huff. It was coming back to me now. "You can't expect me to want to remember you since you used to pull my hair," I said, raising an eyebrow.

He looked horrified. "That wasn't me, that was Rachel!"

"Sure," I allowed teasingly, rolling my eyes.

"_You_ shoved me into the mud, but I still remember you," he accused playfully, and a grin crept back onto his lips.

"Because you wouldn't leave me alone," I pointed out as a matter of fact.

One corner of his mouth lifted slightly, making him look mischievous. "Yeah, well – maybe I just wanted to play?"

"I suppose I _was_ a little mean," I allowed.

"A little?" He cocked an eyebrow but his eyes twinkled delightedly. He was enjoying this, but I had to admit that he was right. I had been very bossy with him – as an only child, I was used to getting my way, and shoving him into the mud hadn't been the only thing I'd done. Suddenly I was mortified – how much did he remember?

"Okay – a lot," I amended.

"And still I remembered you," he reminded me proudly.

I couldn't help grinning. It was so easy to talk to him, and it hit me then, that I hadn't been able to talk like this since I'd left Phoenix. It was a good feeling.

"So are your sisters here?" I asked then, looking down toward the girls at the ocean's edge.

Jacob shook his head. "Nah. Rachel got a scholarship to Washington State, and Rebecca married a Samoan surfer – she moved out to Hawaii not long ago."

"Wow." Jacob's sisters – twins – were only just over a year older than me. The revelation stunned me.

"How's the truck treating you?" he asked then.

"Great. I love it."

"Yeah, but it's really slow," he said, laughing. "I was so relieved when Charlie bought it. Dad wouldn't let me work on another car while we had that truck."

"It runs just fine," I objected.

"How fast do you drive?" he asked with a hint of humor.

"Um – I stick to the speed limit."

"So you haven't pushed it over sixty yet," he concluded.

"No," I confirmed.

"That's good. Don't." He was grinning again.

"At least I'm protected in a collision," I offered in defense of my truck.

This made him laugh. "Yeah, not even a tank could take that thing out. It's a monster."

'Thing' – Charlie had called it a 'thing', too, I recalled now.

"That 'thing'," I folded my arms indignantly, "happens to be a very good truck, and I love it. Don't hate on it."

Jacob wasn't discouraged, if anything he looked to be bursting with pride.

"It better be good, I totally helped my dad rebuild the engine – nothing could be done about the speed, though. Even if I tried." His eyes twinkled again.

"You build cars?" I asked, surprised but impressed.

"Yep. When I've got the time, and parts." His smile never wavered, and the brilliance of it seemed to light up the gloomy shadows that the gathering clouds in sky continued to cast over us.

I couldn't help but notice, though, how Jacob was looking at me in a way that I was becoming all too familiar with. Apparently I wasn't the only one who'd noticed, and I'd almost forgotten that Jacob and I weren't alone. Huh.

"So you know Bella, Jacob?" Lauren asked in a pretentious manner from across the fire.

"Since I was a baby, just about," he replied, unfazed by her, still smiling at me.

"Isn't that nice." She hardly sounded like she meant it, and then her eyes narrowed. "Bella," she began, watching me carefully. "Tyler and I were just discussing that it's too bad the Cullens couldn't come, didn't anyone think to invite them?" Her concern was flawed and fake, but it was surprisingly easy to ignore my irritation.

"Are you talking about Dr. Carlisle Cullen's family?" came the very deep voice of the other dark skinned boy – young man, I corrected myself.

Lauren swiveled to look at him. "Yes, do you know them?" she asked in a condescending tone.

"The Cullens don't come here," he said abruptly, closing the subject.

She looked slightly taken aback, but Tyler skillfully won back her attention with a question about the muted music coming from the portable CD-player.

I couldn't help but stare at the tall boy in mild shock, but he was looking away now, toward the dark forest behind us. It wasn't what he'd said that disturbed me, but the way he'd said it, as if he was implying that they weren't allowed – prohibited, more like it. His mannerisms were nearly as odd and rude as Edward's.

Jacob brought me out of my silent speculations. "So Forks has got to be driving you insane – you lived in Phoenix, right?"

My groan was unintentional, but I was still somewhat dazed by the comment about the Cullens.

"Now _that's_ an understatement." I made a face and tore my eyes away from the glum boy, turning to find Jacob grinning.

"I'd bet you miss Phoenix, huh?"

I sighed. "Yeah," I tilted my head and glanced scornfully up at thick cloud cover, "and the sun," I admitted sadly.

Jacob must have noticed my sudden onslaught of melancholy, as suddenly he jumped up, then held his hand out in a friendly gesture. "Let's go for a walk."

I eyed his hand suspiciously and he shoved it, and the other, into his pockets with a shrug, but rolled his eyes and gave a slight nod toward the beach.

"C'mon," he insisted, "you'll get cold if you don't move."

I let out a snort. "There's a fire here," I countered.

"Survival one-oh-one; heat does nothing if your blood isn't moving." He looked very sure of himself and I guess by the widening grin on his face he knew he had me convinced. I had to hand it to him; if getting some alone time with me was what he wanted then he had a very smooth way of going about it.

"Fine," I said, fighting a grin of my own, then got up.

When we had made it a few paces away from the fire pit I noticed the substantial drop in the temperature, due to the clouds, and I shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my jacket.

"The cold is worse now," I complained.

Jacob laughed. "Not very patient, are you?"

"I just don't like the cold," I said defensively.

"Give it a few minutes, you'll warm up soon enough."

A shiver ran through me then and I laughed. "Yeah, I'm feeling it already," I offered sarcastically, and he laughed with me.

"Positive thinking, that's a good sign."

I glanced at him where he kept up pace next to me, his hands still in his pockets.

"Is that what you're trying to accomplish?"

It was amazing how easy it was to be myself around him, and it made me all the happier about my decision of coming along today. Maybe I could make friends here after all.

For a brief moment I wondered if I had said something wrong since he didn't answer me straight away. I raised an eyebrow, noting that he looked almost shy, but he wiped it quickly with a grin, making me wonder if I was just seeing things again.

"I thought a walk would get your mind off Phoenix," he said with casual ease.

"Oh." That was thoughtful of him. Not that I had felt too depressed about it. If anything, the only thing that really irked me right now was the comment about the Cullens. Not that I wanted them to come here – well, it was Edward I didn't want around. With his display of weird behavior to date I had no doubt that he would have somehow found a way to ruin the experience for me. Not to mention the smart comments he would make about the young boy next to me.

Maybe Jacob could clue me in on what the deal was with that boy's rude comment.

"Who was that boy over there, who made the comment about the Cullens?" I asked, taking care to sound casual.

"That was Sam," he informed me.

"What did he mean by what he said?"

"About the Cullens you mean?"

"Yeah."

"They're not supposed to come onto the reservation." He looked away then, his head turned toward the ocean and James Island. He had sounded almost like Sam then, but without the harsh tone in his voice.

I was officially intrigued, and maybe a bit concerned. Maybe the Cullens didn't like Native Americans and they'd had a run in with them or something. It wouldn't be the first time for unrest to rise up between the general population and Native Americans. Judging from Edward alone I could very easily imagine him in a confrontation, rude as he was.

"How come?" I asked finally, trying very hard to hide my curiosity.

He glanced back at me now, and he bit his lip. "Uh. I'm not supposed to talk about that."

Wow. There was definitely something going on here.

"I promise I won't tell anyone," I offered sincerely. "It's just – I'm curious. I go to school with them, and even if one of the guys is a real jerk, I think that they shouldn't all be judged 'cause of him."

Jacob made a strange face. "...it's not like that," he said finally.

I couldn't keep my growing curiosity out of my voice anymore. "What is it then?"

We continued walking in silence until we came upon a large, twisted log sticking out of the sand, its gnarled branches curling like a spider's legs, and Jacob perched himself on one of the thicker ones. His face had suddenly taken on an almost conspiratorial expression.

"Do you like scary stories?" he asked suddenly, his voice having dropped, and it was even huskier than before. He sounded ominous.

I felt myself nod and drew toward the log, feeling with my hands before sitting down, my eyes on his mysterious grin. This boy was definitely going to milk it for all it was worth. I decided that I was beginning to like this natural air of confidence that surrounded him. It was as contagious as his smile.

"Do you know anything of our legends, about where we came from – the Quileutes I mean?" he began.

"Can't say I do."

"There's tons of them, some even go as far back as the Flood. It's said that the Quileutes tied their canoes to trees on the mountain to survive – just like Noah and the ark." He smiled wryly. "Another one claims that, supposedly we were wolves once. Actually, they are our brothers still, and tribal law says you can't kill them.

"Then we have tales of... _the cold ones_," he finished, his voice having dropped considerably lower on the last words.

"The cold ones?" I was so hooked, and there was no hiding it.

"Yep. The stories about them are as old as the wolf legends, but there are some recent ones, too. According to these stories, my own great-grandfather knew some of these cold ones. He formed the treaty that is supposed to keep them off Quileute-lands." Jacob rolled his eyes, looking embarrassed.

"Really? Your great-grandfather?"

"Yeah. Just like my dad, he was a tribal elder. See, the cold ones are the natural enemy of the wolf... actually, not the wolf, not really – the wolves that turn into men; like our ancestors. You'd call them werewolves."

"They have enemies?"

"Only the one."

I was staring at him now, wanting him to continue. Regardless of how much or little truth these stories held I was incredibly intrigued – this was far better than reading _Wuthering Heights_.

"So basically," Jacob continued, "the cold ones are our enemies. But the ones that came onto our land, when my great-grandfather was still alive, were different, or so they claimed to be – they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So what my great-grandfather did was to make a truce with them: if they promised to stay off Quileute-lands, we wouldn't expose what they really were to the palefaces." Jacob winked at me.

"Huh." I deliberated for a moment, but decided that I wasn't quite satisfied – there was more I wanted to know. Plus, he had yet to tell me what this had to do with the Cullens. "How were they different... I mean – why weren't they dangerous?" I asked finally.

"They didn't hunt the way others of their kind did. Still, it's risky for humans to be around the cold ones, even if they're supposedly civilized. You never know when they'll get so hungry they can't resist." He'd worked in a thick edge to his voice now, sounding menacing.

"Explain 'civilized'," I encouraged.

"Apparently they didn't hunt humans, instead they claimed to survive only on animals."

"Right..."

I thought for a moment.

"I'm still kind of wondering how this has anything to do with the Cullens," I stifled back the humor in my voice, "unless you're telling me that the Cullens are like those cold ones your great-grandfather met."

"No," he said darkly, his eyes on mine now. "Not _like_ those. They are the _same ones_."

For a moment I wondered if he was believing this, or if he was really just _that_ good at telling stories. I wasn't certain what impression my face gave him, but whatever he saw there pleased him, and he smiled before he continued.

"Their group has grown a bit now; there's a new female, and a new male. My great-grandfather already knew of the leader, Carlisle. Apparently he's been around since before _your_ people even arrived here."

I raised an eyebrow. "So what you're saying is that Dr. Cullen is... ancient?" When I said it out loud I sounded crazy, and I controlled the urge to laugh.

"_I_ am not saying that – the legends are," he said defensively.

"I'm sorry," I said, offering him an apologetic smile. "So what are these cold ones, then?"

Jacob smiled darkly.

"Blood drinkers," he replied in a chilled whisper. "Your people would call them vampires."

"Vampires," I repeated skeptically, glancing out at the waves, roughened up by the harsh winds. I hadn't even paid much attention to the weather, but now it looked like a storm was brewing out there.

"Pretty crazy stuff, huh? No wonder my dad doesn't want us to say anything about it." The way he said it made me glance back at his face; he looked embarrassed again.

"Don't worry, I can keep secrets."

Then he laughed. "I think I just violated the treaty."

"I won't tell on you," I promised.

"Whatever you do," he began, suddenly sounding very serious, "don't tell Charlie. He got really mad at my dad when he stopped going to the hospital because of Dr. Cullen."

I studied his face for a while, and he certainly didn't look like he was joking now, which told me that his dad must be pretty superstitious.

"You've got my word, I won't say anything," I said finally, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. Of course I wouldn't talk to Charlie about this.

"So are we a bunch of superstitious natives or what," he said jokingly, but I could detect an underlying note of worry in his voice.

"Maybe," I teased lightly, winking. "Superstition aside, though – it was a good story," I told him honestly, and he smiled brightly.

It _was_ a good story. It had, without a doubt, outdone any of the books I had at home. As much as I liked my novels, it was nice to have a change every once in a while.

It probably wouldn't have been as enjoyable if someone else had told the story, though. Jacob was just a genuinely social character, and something about him made even the growing wind, which usually would bother me, seem unimportant. I could easily see myself becoming friends with this boy.

"Do you come up to Forks at all?" I asked suddenly, feeling brave.

"Nah, not really," he replied, sounding none too happy about it. "I could come up when I have my car finished, though – well, when I get my license," he corrected himself.

"Or I could go with Charlie, next time he goes to see Billy," I suggested, grinning.

Jacob seemed elated at the prospect of that, and briefly I wondered if it could become a problem, if I'd given him the wrong impression. Hopefully I hadn't, though. Friendship was one thing, but he was two years younger than me – why was I even worrying about it? Ugh.

The sound of rocks clattering together made both mine and Jacob's heads snap up, and a fair distance away I saw Mike and Jessica approaching.

"There you are!" Mike was waving at me, and he looked as relieved as he'd sounded.

"Boyfriend?" Jacob asked.

So even someone who didn't know Mike could detect the jealous undertones in his voice. This should have surprised me, but it didn't.

"Definitely not," I whispered to Jacob.

I ignored how this information seemed to brighten his eyes, however subtle it was, and hoped, again, that if we were to see each other again that my spending time with him wouldn't lead him on. But then I rationalized that simple hints could be dropped, simple and tactful ones. After all, I didn't want to hurt his feelings.

"So I guess I'll see you around then," he said, that bright smile of his in place that seemed to make my own lips curl without my permission.

"Yes, or I'll see _you_ around," I replied, feeling uncharacteristically light.

"Sweet."

Jessica and Mike had reached us now, and I could see how Mike's eyes went over Jacob, as if sizing him up, but he seemed pleased – Jacob's youth obviously being to his satisfaction – this wasn't competition to him.

"What have you been up to?" Mike asked.

"Jacob's been telling me a little about the local history," I explained, turning back to wink at Jacob who grinned broadly.

"Well," Mike said, his eyes still moving suspiciously between me and Jacob, "it's time to leave. We don't want to get caught in the rain," he said, looking to the ominous clouds above.

Mentally I rolled my eyes, then glanced at Jacob who only appeared amused.

I hopped off the log, brushing myself off. "Let's go then."

"Don't be a stranger now," Jacob said, and I tried to hold back on the smirk, getting the feeling that he was just trying to taunt Mike now.

"Oh I won't be," I promised.

As we trudged across the rocky beach, back toward the cars, I pulled up my hood, just as the first drops began to fall, leaving dark spots on on the pebbles below. When we caught up with the others at the parking space they had already loaded everything and were just waiting for us.

Once more I had to cram into the crowded van, and both Angela and I peered out the window at the clashing waves heaving violently against James Island. There was a storm well on its way; I just hoped that Jacob would make it back home in time before the rain started pelting down.

Today had been a good day, and hopefully there would be more just like it. It would definitely make my sentence in Forks somewhat easier to endure.

**o~*iii*~o**


	4. Yeah, I'm THAT awesome

_**Disclaimer****: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**_

* * *

**o~*iii*~o**

**Yeah, I'm THAT awesome**

JACOB BLACK

The rain was coming down in buckets, and by the time I reached the house I was absolutely soaked. I made a slight miscalculation of the angle I came at the ramp so, naturally, my well worn sneakers didn't grab the surface, slickened by the pouring rain.

"Whoa!"

My feet skidded, but luckily there was the railing, which I grabbed onto, preventing an embarrassing situation. Not that I didn't feel dumb anyway.

"Jacob?" my dad called from inside the house.

"Yeah," I called back and steadied myself, hanging onto the railing as I stepped carefully across the slippery planks, until the doorhandle became my anchor.

"Where's the fire?" he asked as he wheeled himself into the kitchen, then his shaggy brows shot up at the sight of me. "Where have you been?" He sounded all suspicious now.

"Down the beach – man, this is never going to dry in time."

"Don't do that in here," he protested when I started shrugging out of my jacket. "Look at the floor, son."

I looked – "Oops" – and back at my dad – "sorry," I said, grinning.

He rolled his eyes at me in that usual way, telling me with a look alone that I was an idiot.

"Well, don't just stand there like a tulip; do something about it before we have the entire Pacific to clean up."

"We? You mean _me_, right?"

"Think you're being funny, don't you?" He was huffing at me, and I just knew that he was in one of his moods again.

"Aw, c'mon, dad. You know I'll clean it up – I always do."

But he just ignored me and wheeled himself back to position himself in front of the TV; I could hear he was watching one of those fake trial shows again and rolled my eyes before opening the door to take my wet clothes off outside.

I wrung the excess water out of my clothes before rolling them up under my arm – even my socks had been drenched – and I walked past my dad who was squinting at the TV.

"Need glasses, old man?" I teased and pulled my ass in before he could swat me. "Too slow!"

That could have hurt if he'd aimed right, I thought. I cut off a laugh when I heard him grumbling something unintelligible behind me as I sauntered down the narrow hallway to the bathroom. I had to get these things in the wash.

When I opened the door, I stopped short.

"You're not serious..." I stared at the water gushing out of the washing machine. "Dad!" I flung my clothes into the sink, knocking something to the floor. "Aw, jeez. Not cool." The bar of soap slid across the wet linoleum.

"What – oh..."

I turned to my dad with slumped shoulders. "Dad – I _told_ you it was dying."

"Just turn the water off and we'll have a look at it-"

"No," I protested. "It was doomed five repairs ago. It's got to go – that, or a new carpet."

"Can't afford either," he reminded me.

Like I needed reminding.

I threw my hands up, frustrated, and the momentum threw me off my feet; due to the slippery floor, I crashed into the door. This time my flailing arms didn't help, neither did the loose doorknob.

"Whoa—_ow_!" I landed right on my tailbone.

I stared up at my dad who was rumbling with laughter. At least he wasn't grumpy anymore.

"That's it – to hell with the parts for the Rabbit; we're getting a washing machine."

"Now, son-"

"Yeah, I know. I don't have to. But maybe you can get away with sitting around here naked if you run out of clothes, but I've got school and work," I pointed out before he could cut me off. And, I added mentally, if Bella was going to come around... yep. Definitely needed a washing machine. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to impress her with my dad's naked ass around.

"I'll call Sue, she'll know if someone has one for sale," dad told me, then wheeled off down the hallway, leaving me in a puddle of soapy water.

This wasn't healthy for my ass.

Half an hour later I had the water off, the washing machine unplugged, the floor dried and a pair of sweats on, making my way to the kitchen. Dad was on the phone, babbling about a garage sale in Forks – my ears perked up.

"That would be good of him – twenty minutes? Got it. We'll be ready."

"Are you going to Forks _now_?"

"No time like the present," dad said, looking me up and down. "Better get some more clothes on if you're to help Harry load something onto the truck," he added.

I glanced at the time; guess Quil and Embry would hang out in the garage till I got back.

"Get some food into you before we leave," dad instructed.

"Nah, that's okay. I snagged some hotdogs at the beach."

Now he was getting all suspicious again. "Off who?"

"Some older kids from Forks – I saw Charlie's kid," I grinned, "she's all grown up."

His expression instantly changed, and he had this knowing smile now. "Forks is looking a lot prettier now, ain't it, son?"

I shrugged. "Forks is Forks," I said casually, turning for my room to get some more clothes on.

Now I knew I couldn't be showing up at Charlie's place unannounced. Especially not only a couple of hours after I'd just seen her. That's got 'loser' written all over it, and Jacob Black was no loser. But someone had to go with dad and Harry; they needed the extra muscle.

The ride up to Forks sucked as always, and being squashed between Harry and my dad didn't exactly make it more enjoyable. At least we were lucky with the garage sale. Now I was a hundred bucks short, and the master cylinder for the Rabbit would probably turn up, since I didn't have the cash for it anymore.

As I'd suspected, Quil and Embry were squatting in my garage when I got back.

"You girls got nothing better to do?"

I smacked Embry over the head, where he stood with his head under the hood of the Rabbit; he retaliated as if he was swatting a fly.

"Hands off, Black," he warned.

"My hands were never on you, Call." I leaned back against the door, folding my arms.

"That's 'cause they're too busy feeling up some girl's skirt," Quil jabbed.

"At least I know what it feels like, which is more than what I can say for this woodpecker." I shoved at Embry's head when he started sulking.

"Jeez, knock it off." Embry ducked away, and plopped down onto an upside down crate.

"Where were you?" Quil asked.

"Getting a washing machine."

Embry laughed. "Finally carked it, huh?"

I sighed. "Don't get me started – I've been telling dad for weeks." I patted the Rabbit. "And now I'm broke."

Quil's mouth popped open. "No way – seriously, dude. You're going all domestic on us."

"Imagine my dad naked," I prompted.

He shuddered. "Black, that's sick."

I nodded, satisfied with his answer. "You get my point. 'Sides," I paused, spotting a wrench on top of the open gasket. I snatched it up and turned it over in my hands, "I'm not sure Bella Swan would want to see my dad in the buff, either."

Both Quil and Embry snapped to attention.

"As in, _Chief_ Swan's daughter?" Quil asked, clearly skeptical.

"Naw, he's jerking your chain," Embry said dubiously. "She's what – eighteen now or something?"

"Seventeen," I corrected.

Quil scoffed. "Yeah, right, Black. Not buying it."

"Yeah," Embry joined in, "you don't even have your license, and" – he laughed mockingly – "girls that age expect to be picked at their doorstep, and not with your dad waving from the driver's seat."

Quil high-five-d Embry.

I just smiled. "She knows I don't have my license, which is why she's coming here."

Their expressions were absolutely priceless.

"Dude," Quil said.

"No way," Embry added.

"So you can see how it's important to keep the Blacks clothed," I concluded.

They kept staring at me in mixed awe and disbelief, then all of a sudden their questions came pouring out so fast I had to laugh.

"Slow down, I can't hear over the cackle."

"What did she say?" Quil asked, clamping his hand over Embry's mouth.

I smirked. "Before or after we walked away from her friends?"

Embry stopped struggling, making him look like an owl when his eyes widened, and Quil dropped his hand from Embry's face.

"This is major," Quil said grandly.

"Total horseshit," Embry protested. "There's no way that the Chief's daughter would walk off with you, Jake. You're full of it."

"Jacob Black may be many things, a liar is not one of them," I said, pushing away from the Rabbit to return the wrench to the toolbox.

"So when's she coming down?"

Of course Quil would be all over this. Embry was shy on the best of days when it came to girls, which is why he'd never had a girlfriend. Quil, on the other hand, had an ego the size of Texas, and it wasn't always a good thing. He earned himself a clip on the ear, more often than not, and not only from the girls.

Being confident wasn't bad; you just needed the skills to balance it. I, of course, managed pretty well, except for when my dad thought it funny to embarrass me, which he'd made into an annoying habit.

"I just saw her," I pointed out.

"I still say you're not telling the whole truth," Embry continued with his skepticism, "I'll believe it when I see it."

I turned to him. "Oh no," I warned. "You two are not going to be lurking around eavesdropping, seriously, I mean it."

Embry leered at me. "She's not going to want to get it on with you, Jake – there will be nothing _to_ drop any eaves on."

My hand shot out and smacked him harder than I intended.

"Idiot," I snapped. "Her dad's the Chief of Police," I said meaningfully.

Quil smirked. "I think you've got a death wish."

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

"When the odds are against you, it only makes you want to fight harder – like the run-in you had with Sam down the shop last week."

My mood darkened. "He was giving me freaky looks, all right? If he'd looked at you the way he looked at me you would've socked him in the face. All I did was tell him off."

"Sam's nineteen, you don't go messing around with the big boys, Black, unless you've _got_ a death wish."

"Sam doesn't scare me." Maybe he did a little, but I wasn't going to tell them that.

"He scares _me_ – seriously, have you seen him lately?" Embry got up from the crate. "He's getting big."

"He's _nineteen_," Quil repeated, like this was an impressive fact.

Embry shook his head. "That's not it, I bet you he's taking steroids. He went missing a while back, don't you remember? I'll bet you five bucks he's gotten himself into trouble and is beefing up to get out of it."

"Your mom's as bad as my dad – watching all those crappy crime shows and trials – get a grip... this is _La Push_, not the Bronx." I laughed.

"Life ain't all rainbows and butterflies, bro," Embry said sullenly.

"Aw, jeez..."

"Quit moping," Quill told him. "I swear, it's like you've got PMS."

"You would know," Embry said in a quiet mumble.

Quil leaned forward, staring at Embry. "What was that, Call?"

Embry's face darkened. "I said: you would know," he repeated more clearly with slow emphasis on each word.

I held my hands up and stepped back. "Take it outside," I warned them.

They were deaf though and next thing I knew, Embry attacked Quil; I jumped out of the way before they crashed into me. There was a brief shuffle, nothing major, until Quil caught Embry's mouth.

"Son of a-" he yelped, clapping a hand to his mouth.

I sighed. "Nice one, now his mom's going to be all over him again."

Embry was scowling at Quil now, who in turn looked remorseful.

"Sorry, man. Fist got away from me," he offered apologetically.

A muffled sound came from Embry, sounding something like "yeah right" and he rolled his eyes.

"All right, that's enough," I cut in.

"Yeah, I need to get home or mom's going to freak," Embry said quietly and moved toward the doors.

"Emb, I'm sorry, man," Quil called after him.

"Yeah, yeah..." He disappeared around the corner.

Quil and I exchanged a knowing glance.

"You do know his mom's going to rip him a new one for getting into a fight again," I told him. "You could try putting a lid on the ego."

Quil sighed. "I didn't mean to."

"Yeah, okay – c'mon. I need a drink."

"Still can't believe you burned your cash on a freaking washing machine," Quil mused, falling in behind me as I walked to the house.

"Don't remind me."

My dad had his crafty things out again, carving away at a piece of wood, when Quil and I got into the kitchen. I went straight for the fridge, pulling out a couple of cans of soda, and tossed one to Quil who caught it with a "thanks".

Dad looked up briefly. "Hello there, Quil."

"Hey, Mr. Black."

I flopped onto the sofa, flipping through the channels on the TV while Quil engaged in a conversation about Quil Senior, Quil's dad, with Billy. The conversation was lost on me since I didn't really pay attention; although the TV wasn't actually interesting, either.

The foremost thing on my mind was to calculate how long it would take me to save up the money I'd just spent, which made me feel a bit bummed out. We had really needed that washing machine, though. There were only so many times you could repair household appliances before it became more of a hassle than a convenience. But with dad's pension we didn't have much choice.

Then there was my license, but I had plenty of time to save up for that.

One more year, I thought; that would be plenty of time to convince Bella Swan that age is just a number. Of course, I knew that girls were a bit more sensitive about these things, and I wasn't stupid to think that Bella would overlook my age, even if I had this feeling – she was a bit different. She didn't check herself every ten seconds like that blond girl had, whatever her name was.

Another thing I'd noticed was how her face wasn't all caked in crap; she totally didn't need that. Man, she was so pale – and then she'd blushed. . . .

I sighed.

In one year I'd have my license and I'd be able to ask her out on a date. Sounded like a foolproof plan to me.

"You look like a goon – wipe that stupid grin off your face and scoot over."

Quil was blocking the TV – not that I cared – and I moved over so he could sit, smirking at him.

"How was the tea-party, did you get to swap recipes?"

"Real cute, Black."

I shrugged, then stretched my neck to look what dad was up to. "Is he still doing his thing?"

"Nah. I think he's tired – he kept squinting at me."

"Yeah," I said and sighed, dropping my head back and closed my eyes. "I'm fed up with it. He refuses to go to the hospital."

"Because of that doctor," Quil added.

I groaned. "That didn't help, but yeah," I dropped my voice to a whisper, "he's seriously all into the legends. I swear, sometimes when he thinks I'm not listening, he's on the phone, whispering about the Cullens, 'treaty' this and 'treaty' that – I think the diabetes is melting his brain."

"Call Sue, she'll come and set him straight," Quil suggested. "About going to the hospital, I mean."

I scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"Seriously, not even the elders mess with her, and she's ripped into Harry 'bout eating better, even if he slips sweets past her. Man, he's a crack-up."

"That's where Leah gets her spunk from," I said meaningfully.

Quil chuckled. "Leah's hot, but damn... I think her temper is getting worse, especially since she and Sam broke up."

"Sam's a dick. And Leah used to be nice."

"Hot, you mean," he corrected for me.

I shrugged. "I s'pose."

Quil looked at me, then shook his head. "Forget about the Chief's daughter; she's way out of your league."

"You're just jealous," I said, smirking.

"Of potential shotgun shrapnel in my ass?" He snorted. "You've got your work cut out for you, Black, that's all I'm going to say."

"The Chief likes me, I'm not worried."

"Don't be so sure about that – when was the last time he was down?"

"That's not _my_ fault," I said quietly. "I've got nothing against the Cullens, Quil. It's all dad, and I think he's being rude."

"What are you ladies whispering about in here?"

I straightened up and folded my arms, looking at my dad.

"The Cullens," I said pointedly.

His weathered features hardened instantly, and he spoke with that thick authority in his voice. "Don't you be talking about them under my roof, son," he warned.

"All right, but I'm supposed to sit here and watch you get sicker and sicker 'cause you're too proud to go to the hospital? Gee, thanks, dad."

Quil squirmed uncomfortably next to me. "I better get home – see ya, Jake," he said in a mumble, then stood up. "Bye, Mr. Black," he added, before scurrying out of the house.

"Bye Quil!" I called after him.

Dad was still glaring at me through squinted eyes. "You'll watch your tone, Jacob. Are we clear?"

"Crystal clear," I replied, annoyed, then got up and made a beeline for the front door.

"Where are you going – it's dinnertime soon," he called after me.

"Out!" I shouted back.

He didn't need to know that I continued running after I flew down the ramp. Nor did he need to know that I didn't want to bury the only dad I had. So when I got to the end of the dirt road I made a sharp turn and started up the road toward the Clearwaters. If dad wouldn't listen to me, he would listen to Sue and Harry.

Stupid, stubborn old man, making me get my clothes wet again.

I was so angry that I forgot my manners and banged on their door, but the moment Sue laid her eyes on me her face softened.

"Jacob! Come on in, honey. You're soaked."

"Hey, Mrs. C," I said quietly, and bent down to take my shoes off.

"Get in," she urged. "I'll clean it up."

"Thanks."

Seth waved at me from the kitchen table. "Jake!"

"Hey, Seth," I said.

"Cool, now I've got someone to race. I got a new game for Xbox for my birthday," he told me, his bright grin lighting up his round face.

"Yeah? How old are you now?"

He puffed up his narrow chest, tapping his fist over his heart. "Thirteen," he informed me, proud as cheese.

"Welcome to the lovely teens," I said, feeling bad for my lack of enthusiasm. "Oh, and happy birthday."

"Thanks!"

Sue was clucking her tongue behind me. "It was one week ago, but still he's over the moon."

"Wait til he turns fifteen, he'll be chomping at the bit for a license," I said, grinning.

"It's sixteen," he corrected.

"Yeah, exactly," I told her, winking. "This summer I'll get to start practicing with my dad – if he could get to the hospital and get some help, or I might be hounding you for driving lessons," I said glumly, embarrassed at the awkward thickness in my voice, which I cleared.

Proud, stubborn idiot of a man, I thought again when Sue frowned, her eyes full of pity.

"Aw, don't look at me like that. You know he refuses to go."

"You poor dear," she said sympathetically, then she squared her shoulders. "All right. That man needs an intervention, I think. I thought that as time went on that he would see some sense, but then that doctor and his family moved into town and-"

"Don't you be putting your nose in Billy's business, he's got every right to refuse, and I, for one, agree with him," Harry's deep voice carried from the living room.

"Oh shush you in there and eat your beans!"

I heard him grunt unhappily, which made him sound just like my dad, but he didn't say anything else. It made me smirk. Sue sure was the boss.

"Now," she began, while she put her hands on my shoulders and ushered me into the kitchen to sit down. "You will eat, and I will make a phone call," she said in a voice that left no room for argument.

Seth was smiling at me, his mouth full of food.

As it turned out, Sue called none other than Chief Swan, who, regardless of dad's embarrassing behavior, came down on the reservation. The whole 'intervention' thing wasn't a joke, and Sue even got Harry to change his tune. While I stayed at the Clearwaters, the three of them went over to our house to drag dad to the hospital.

I would have loved to see the look on his face when they showed up, but I was just happy that something was being done about it.

Ever since mom died, he'd slacked off with his treatment, and ending up in a wheelchair hadn't made him take it any more seriously. Rebecca and Rachel had gotten sick and tired of him, so it had been easy for them to move away when better options appeared. I didn't blame them. Dad's mood swings could make _me_ feel like crying sometimes, but they were _girls_ – plus they'd been older when mom died, and they couldn't sit around and watch dad let himself go. But they had stayed long enough to make sure I could take care of myself – Rebecca had. She'd been the last one to leave, and she'd told me, before she left: "Don't you let him push you around, Jake. Stand up to him, and don't give up. If you need anything, I'm just a phone call away."

They were twins, but Rachel was the hothead, while Rebecca was softer, kind of how I remembered mom to be. Even though the memories of her weren't many, they were good ones – apart from that coffin... nailed shut.

I shuddered.

It was almost ten o'clock when the Chief's cruiser pulled up outside the Clearwaters, and I could see my dad in the passenger seat. So, Dr. Carlisle Cullen hadn't sucked him dry, after all, I thought smugly. I'd let him off the hook tonight, though. Judging from Charlie's face it was good news; he didn't look mad. Maybe they'd kissed and made up.

Sue gave me a light pat, winking at me as I passed her on the porch steps.

"He should behave himself... for now. You come over any time, you hear?"

"Thanks, Mrs. C," I said sincerely.

Dad wouldn't look at me when I came toward the car.

"Hey, Chief Swan," I said and slipped into the back.

"Hey there, kid. You're getting big – how old are you now?"

"Turned fifteen last month," I told him and buckled up.

"Wow, time sure does fly. I remember when my Bells was making you eat dirt," he said with humor.

"Wasn't all she made me eat, Chief," I replied with a laugh.

"Don't want to know," he warned me, but laughed right along with me.

"Wish I didn't remember." I shuddered. Worms came to mind.

"She told me she saw you today – did the kids behave themselves?"

Nice. She'd mentioned me. This was good.

"Yes, sir," I assured him, grinning a bit more.

He let out a grunt. "Don't give me that 'sir' nonsense, son – I've changed your diapers."

I cringed. Jeez. "Okay, Chief, I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

Charlie laughed.

Dad wasn't going to talk to me tonight, I knew that already, but I left him to it. Charlie had managed to wipe the last traces of annoyance I'd felt when he'd told me that he'd be coming back down tomorrow to check in on me and dad. He'd also said he'd try dragging Bella with him. Naturally, that made me fall asleep with a smile on my face.

Even if she didn't show up tomorrow, at least dad and Charlie had gotten over the whole Cullen thing, which meant that the Chief would be showing up more often, and sooner or later Bella would come with him. I just had this feeling that she would.

Proud dad and the lack of a master cylinder aside; life as Jacob Black was pretty awesome.

**o~*iii*~o**


	5. Friendship

_**Disclaimer****: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**_

* * *

**o~*iii*~o**

**Friendship**

Only a few minutes after we left First Beach the skies opened up, forcing the Suburban into a near crawl, and the 15 mile ride back to Forks took a lot longer than it usually would. I was in a half giggle-fit from having stumbled across Charlie's front lawn when I came in the door, which felt strange, considering I hated the cold and the wet. I found myself wondering if Jacob lived far from the beach, because he would have no doubt been caught in the middle of the downpour, too.

"Did you have fun at the beach?" came Charlie's distracted voice from the living room.

"Yeah," I called out, slipping my jacket off to put it on a coat hanger.

I walked in to join Charlie, falling back on the sofa, earning a curious glance from him.

"You look all refreshed," he commented then turned his attention back to the TV; there was some basketball game going on. I knew that men, as well as boys, liked their sports, but with Charlie it was more like worshipping at mass, and each evening was a Sunday.

"Mike was _half_ correct about the weather report. Lucky us – it started raining _just_ as we left," I told him lightly, then reached forward to grab my copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ from the coffee table. "By the way," I added, "I saw Billy's son – Jacob – does he live far from the beach? I can't remember where their house is."

"A good ten minutes walk I'd say," Charlie replied, his eyes glued on the TV.

For a moment I studied him, watching with fascination as he tensed up, looking like he was about to spring, then he sank back in his recliner. Once he even looked like he was going to pop a vein when someone called a foul shot, which he fervently argued against.

I rolled my eyes, not understanding anything.

"Why do you ask?" He focused his full attention on me, having calmed down.

"Because he was still on the beach when we left," I offered, my own eyes on my book.

Charlie gave me a noncommittal "huh" then added, in what I thought was a childishly grumpy mumble, "he'll kill himself with that pride of his."

"What's that?" I tore my eyes from the page and looked over at Charlie.

He shrugged. "Never mind, Bells – want to eat pizza for dinner?"

"You don't want me to cook?"

"It's Saturday, honey, you cook all the time."

I gave him a little smile. "I don't mind, dad. I actually wanted to try out this recipe mom sent me."

Charlie's brow raised in suspicion. "That's making pizza sound even more tempting," he told me pointedly.

"It's not _her_ recipe," I hurried to clarify. "She just knows I do a lot of cooking here so she's just trying to be helpful, I guess, and" – in her defense, I added – "it does sound tasty."

"All right, but tomorrow you'll let me buy us pizza," he bargained with a sheepish grin.

I grinned back. "Sure, dad."

I noticed that the fridge needed restocking, so before I could start on dinner I took a swing by the grocery store to do the weekly shopping. Then, for the oven-baked chicken risotto, I bought some chicken, onions, capsicum, Parmesan and chicken stock – we had the rest of the ingredients at home.

A couple of hours later, the timer, announcing that dinner was ready, rang at the same time the phone gave a shrill tone. Charlie was too preoccupied to hear it so I answered.

"Swan residence," I sang out cheerfully. La Push must have really good air, I thought, questioning my heightened spirits.

The woman on the line introduced herself as Sue Clearwater, and said that it was imperative that I get Charlie on the phone, so I took it to the living room, sticking it in his face.

"Sue Clearwater," I told him dutifully.

His expression was puzzled at first, then it turned half-stricken, and he grabbed the phone off me quickly.

Apparently Sue was leading an intervention of some kind, and I waited patiently until Charlie got off the phone.

His face was set in hard lines. I'd not seen him so upset before.

"What's wrong?"

For half a minute I thought he would give himself an aneurism, his face was that vibrant with color.

"Dad, calm down," I urged. "Deep breaths," I continued, trying to push back my own panic.

He breathed in deeply, then out, repeating it until his face was only mildly red, instead of purple.

"If Billy wasn't in a wheelchair, Bells, I'd punch his lights out."

I blinked at Charlie in shock. He'd never threatened bodily harm before. Although, there was always that implied one, where he would glance at his shotgun. . . .

"Ever since Sarah died his pride has only gotten worse, and he chased off those poor girls – they couldn't deal with him. The way he'd yell at them sometimes, honey," he paused, shaking his head, "and now he's got that poor kid all freaked out, too, because he won't go to the hospital. I tell you – Dr. Carlisle Cullen is a _good_ and respectable doctor, and the way he's refusing to set his foot in that hospital is downright outrageous.

"But now he's going. Sue and I will get him out of that house if it's the last thing we do."

"What's wrong with him?" I asked carefully, not sure how to take my dad's shaken demeanor.

"He's got diabetes, and he's gone without treatment for years – that's why he's in a wheelchair, Bells. But not even that would make him go."

Suddenly I felt really bad for Billy, and for Jacob, too. It must be horrible to have to watch his dad get sick and not be able to do anything about it, especially when there _is_ help to be gotten.

Charlie's mom had diabetes, too, so I understood how this struck just a little too close to home. That, and the fact that Billy and my dad had been friends since high school.

"I'm really sorry, dad," I said sympathetically. "Do you want me to come with you?" I cringed at the thought of riding through Forks and La Push in his cruiser, but I could sacrifice a little if he wanted me there.

"No, honey, it's okay. This could get ugly. Billy's not going to give up without a fight, I can tell you that much."

I could understand now why they would call my dad. Poor Billy, though, I thought; how mortifying to be escorted away in Charlie's cruiser.

"Sorry 'bout dinner, Bells," he said apologetically while getting his jacket. "Don't wait up for me. This could take a while."

I hung back, watching him as he left, then I turned to the kitchen and suddenly I remembered the risotto.

"Oh crap!"

It was right on the verge of being ruined, but the surface was only slightly golden, so no burned bits, which would have ruined the entire dish.

After I'd eaten I covered the rest in tinfoil and carried it outside, placing it right outside the front door to let it cool off quicker. I'd try to remember to put it in the fridge before bedtime.

I had a paper on _Macbeth_ that was due Wednesday, so I occupied myself with that for the rest of the evening, taking a brief break to thank Renée for the recipe, and told her it turned out really good. I skipped the part where I'd nearly burned it.

When ten pm had come and gone I sat back, stretching, and decided that I'd been productive enough for the evening – two thirds of the paper was done, and I'd finish the rest tomorrow. I decided to listen to some music before going to sleep, so I pulled out a CD Phil had given me. It was quite loud and rough, but I decided that I liked it regardless, and I ended up falling asleep with the music playing.

That was the first night I dreamt of Jacob Black.

I was alone in the forest, just like the one I had hiked through down in La Push, but it was darker somehow, more ominous. Suddenly a hand grabbed me, and I looked up, startled, into the terrified eyes of Jacob Black.

"Bella, you need to get out of here. Now!" His voice was frantic and there was an underlying promise of danger.

"W-what's wrong?" I stuttered.

I was confused, and not only that, his hand around mine hurt, holding me too tightly. I tried to pull away but instead he started dragging me forward. Far away I could see the startling sunlight beating down on the beach, and I could hear the crashing of the waves.

"You have to get into the sun, they won't go there," he urged.

Why did I have to leave? And who were 'they'?

"Please, you're hurting me," I whispered pleadingly, still not understanding at all what was happening.

Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I knew that this was a dream, but somehow it felt so real that I couldn't help but feel a sliver of fear crawl up my spine.

That's when a chilled gust of wind blew past me, raising the hairs on my neck, and next thing I knew I was shoved behind Jacob. But now I was frozen, my limbs locked as I stared past Jacob, into the black eyes of an unnaturally beautiful face.

Edward Cullen smiled, but it didn't make me feel any better, and when his lips curled back I could see the pointed teeth. My eyes widened when he held his hand out toward me.

"Bella, Bella," he chanted in a low, musical tone of voice. "You don't need to be afraid, I won't hurt you. You can trust me."

This should have struck me as an odd thing for him to say, but with Jacob still in front of me, and his warning still clear in my mind, I couldn't deny that something was wrong. My lips moved to speak, but the words that came out shocked me.

"You won't hurt me. I trust you," I said, but it didn't sound like me. It was as if I had disconnected from my body, and to my great horror I was moving forward.

In the next moment Jacob lunged at him, and mid stride an enormous wolf took his place, the reddish brown fur bristling on his back as he descended on Edward with a guttural snarl.

I woke with a scream.

My pajamas were sticking to me and I blinked a few times against the grainy sensation in my eyes.

Some story, I thought, breathing out in relief as my eyes adjusted to the dim light in my bedroom. I looked at the clock on my nightstand; seven-oh-five in the morning. Instantly I jumped out of bed and tiptoed over to the door to poke my head into the hallway.

Charlie's door was open and I took a step forward to crane my neck; his bed was made but the lamp on his nightstand was turned on. Good. He had been there, at least. Then I heard the gurgle of the coffee-machine carry up the stairs and I snatched up my towel to go have a shower. I needed to get out of these damp clothes.

After my shower I got dressed in a pair of sweats and a loose tee before sneaking down the stairs to find Charlie at the table in the kitchen, reading the morning paper.

"Morning, dad," I said quietly, watching him carefully.

"Morning, Bells," he replied and put his paper down, turning to glance at the coffee-machine.

"I'll get it for you," I cut in quickly before he could get up. "How did it go last night?" I asked and pulled out two cups from the overhead cabinet, deciding to have some coffee myself. I was feeling rather skittish after that dream – ridiculous or not, it had left a strange impression on me.

"Harry came along for the ride, too, and I'm glad he did. Billy wasn't one bit happy. Gotta tell ya, Bells; Billy was pouting like a little kid at the hospital, thinking that he could get out of it by refusing to give his information."

Charlie sighed and I turned to place the cup of coffee in front of him.

"Thanks, Bells."

"No problem."

I poured myself some milk from the carton before returning it to the fridge and sat down with my cup across from Charlie, stirring it absentmindedly.

"I'm heading down there later to check in on them – I want to make sure he's not giving Jake any trouble. The kid was just worried... _kid_," he repeated, scoffing, "he's going to be a tall one. He's all arms and legs now."

"Uh huh," I allowed, not really paying attention, still stirring my coffee while watching the swirl.

"Do you want to come with me later? Maybe if you're there Billy will behave himself – maybe it'll cheer Jake up, too. You can feed him some dirt."

My head snapped up from my occupation and I raised an eyebrow. Charlie grinned at me.

"Dad, I'm not a child anymore," I reminded him.

"Just kidding, Bells."

"I've got a paper to finish for school. I'll come with you if it's done – when are you going there?"

He glanced at the clock behind me. "Around noon."

That gave me several hours. "Okay. If I finish before then I'll come with you," I offered, then got up to fix us some breakfast.

Before I sat down to continue my paper I put on a load of washing, then folded what little was on the line and brought it upstairs.

It was more difficult to get into my paper today, and I surmised it had something to do with the stupid dream I'd had. I was letting it get to me far too easily and I scanned through what I had written so far before I could really get back into it. In the end I did get it finished, though, and I was happy I wouldn't have to think about it anymore.

I decided to check my e-mail, and Renée had written me a response for the one I'd sent the day before, giving me a new recipe. I wondered if she was into a healthy spurt when I looked through the ingredients for the spinach basil pasta salad. If Charlie ate this, that would be worth a medal, I thought. Quickly I typed up my response, thanking her for the recipe but letting her know that I was skeptical of Charlie going for it.

Out of the blue, it hit me; I could dig up some tasty-sounding recipes that were diabetic friendly _and_ guy-friendly. I couldn't see Charlie eating half of the things I found, but before long I had a few written down.

When I came back downstairs the washing had finished and while I was hanging it Charlie came and told me that he'd be leaving in twenty minutes. It gave me plenty of time to finish up the laundry, after which I went back upstairs to change into jeans and a long sleeved tee. I snatched up the paper with the recipes – Charlie was getting his jacket on when I joined him to pull my own jacket and shoes on.

"Did I miss something?" He stopped and looked at me when I rounded the front of the cruiser, which made me stop, too.

"What?"

"Last time I took you down to La Push to see the kids you sulked the whole way there, and here you are-" he stopped and just gestured with his hand in my direction.

"Oh," I said, then grinned. "I'm going to teach Jacob to cook," I told him, then pulled the door open and got in.

I heard him mumble something that sounded like "here we go again" before he got in the car.

"You know, Bells," Charlie began. "One of these days, Jacob's going to turn around and make _you_ do something – I've been waiting for that day for years."

"I'm not _making_ him do anything, dad," I protested. "I can't make him pick up a spatula if he doesn't want to."

Charlie shrugged.

"Just do me a favor, honey, okay?"

My eyes narrowed and I watched him as he reversed out of the driveway. "What's that?"

"Don't make him wear an apron – Billy will never let him live that one down."

I laughed. "Okay, dad. I won't," I promised, then smirked. "Unless he wants to."

"Don't hold your breath."

Today the clouds looked friendlier, and while they covered the entire sky, at least they didn't threaten with rain. But they still cast the forests in gloomy shadows, which reminded me of the dream I'd had and I shuddered.

It wasn't Jacob that had scared me, not really. Not even Edward Cullen – as if he were a vampire. He was odd, and rude, and I'm pretty sure it was against school regulations to enroll vampires. Besides, everybody knew that vampires slept during the day, wore renaissance clothing or – as the later movies wanted to suggest – hung out at rave parties in spandex. They most definitely did not go to high school.

What a horrible fate, I thought – I could think of a million things or places I would explore if I had that freedom, and it certainly didn't involve the dull town of Forks. It should say enough that one of the Cullens was a doctor – unless he'd taken the job to gain access to the blood bank, another part of me pointed out.

Get a grip, I thought.

What _had_ disturbed me about the dream was the disconcerting feeling of wanting to remain behind Jacob, but instead my body and my mouth had completely betrayed me. It was just a dream, I told myself. What girl in her right mind would be walking toward those sharp teeth, I argued rationally. The whole thing, I found, irritated me, because it had already taken up far too much of my time.

I was relieved when we finally arrived. Another minute in the car and I would have suffocated.

The Blacks residence was still very familiar, and as I took it all in; I could remember specific things – especially the dip in the road where water would usually gather, just like it had now. That's where I had pushed Jacob. I could see it happening in my head now, and I bit my lip, trying not to laugh.

"Well, well," came a deep, gravely voice and I looked toward the door, where Billy was wheeling himself through. "Look at you, Bella – all grown up." He put extra emphasis on the last part, in a way that made me feel like he wasn't talking to me. All the same, I gave him a shy smile.

"Hey, Billy," I greeted him.

Then Jacob came through the door, and instead of being pulled back like yesterday, his hair was falling over his shoulders like black satin. I couldn't help feeling slightly jealous; his hair was beautiful.

"Hey _again_, Bella," Jacob said, a grin stretching widely across his face.

My lips curled in automatic response. "Hey – did you get home before the rain hit yesterday?" I asked him.

Billy let out a rumbling laugh. "He looked like a drowned rat when he-"

"Dad," Jacob protested under his breath, looking embarrassed.

"I take that as a no," I concluded with a laugh.

"Well, don't just stand there," Billy said, "come in, come in – Jacob just made some coffee," he continued, "even if he won't let me use my sugar, big bully," he added teasingly.

I saw Jacob roll his eyes when I passed him; he was holding the door open, gesturing grandly with his arm to usher me and Charlie inside.

The kitchen was very small, with soft minty green cabinets, scuffed and slightly faded, and white counter tops. One section close to the stove had crisscross patterns where someone had been using a knife without a cutting-board.

Jacob moved over to the sink to get two cups for me and Charlie, setting them on the wooden table, it had been painted white at some point, but the color was chipped away at the corners. In the middle was a crocheted table-runner, reminding me of Charlie's mom's house – she had crocheted things all over the place. I found myself wondering if it was possible that it came from Grandma Swan, since the pattern was familiar.

On top of the crocheted cloth was a terracotta pot on a small plate, the flower looking a little sad, which made the corner of my mouth lift slightly. I doubted that it was there by their choice, hence not being well taken care of.

"So Bella," Billy began, positioning himself in the one chair-less spot by the table. "How's your old man treating you?"

Charlie let out a gruff scoffing sound.

"Just fine," I told him, grinning.

"Good, good," he said, his dark eyes twinkling with humor when he glance at my dad. "Well," he continued, "I'm sure he's glad to have you here," he paused, looking at Jacob who was pouring coffee into the cups, seemingly engrossed in the action, "and Jacob, of course," he finished, a mischievous grin in place.

"Jeez, dad," Jacob said in a quiet mumble. I was certain I saw a slight blush beneath his coppery skin. "Thanks," he added sarcastically.

"Anytime, son," Billy replied, pleased with himself.

Charlie pulled out a chair and sat down, grabbing one of the cups. "Thanks, Jake – you might want to get some milk for Bella," he added.

"That's okay, I can get it," I objected and moved toward the fridge.

"No, no – I've got it," Jacob said quickly, and his hand flashed out to open the door before I could even get close. He gave me a shy smile and went to pour milk into my cup. "Say when," he prompted.

"That's good – thanks."

Jacob grabbed himself a soda before sitting down next to Billy.

"How's school?" Billy asked, looking at me.

"It's all right, I guess – small compared to Phoenix."

He nodded. "How are the kids treating you?"

Instantly my mind went to Edward Cullen, and I intercepted the grimace with a smirk. "Great," I replied casually.

"She tried that one with me, too," Charlie cut in now, glancing at me.

"Dad," I warned.

"Sounds to me like the boys might be extra attentive," Billy mused, "pretty girl from out of town – bet they're falling all over themselves."

My cheeks flamed traitorously. Great. "It's nothing, really," I mumbled.

Charlie was studying me now, one of his brows arched. "I haven't heard anything about any boys," he said suspiciously.

"Because there are none to talk about," I said quietly, but forcefully, wanting to disappear.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Billy winking at Jacob, who looked about as mortified as I felt.

"Okay, I'm going outside," Jacob announced, standing up.

I stood up, too, not really knowing where I would go, but I knew that if I stayed I might die from embarrassment.

"Me too," I said, hurrying after Jacob as he escaped through the door.

"You've done it again, Billy," I heard Charlie accuse.

Billy was laughing. "Just keepin' it real, Chief," he said, his deep voice full of mirth.

I only heard my dad's grunt before the door closed.

Jacob paused with his hands shoved into his pockets.

"I'm really sorry about that," he said, his eyes on the ground while kicking the toe of his shoe into the dirt. "Dad's got this habit of taking pleasure in others' misfortune – it's his thing," he explained, grimacing.

"It's fine," I assured him. "I'll live."

Jacob looked up now, grinning at me. "That's good. You deserve a medal for living through that," he joked.

I sniffed. "I've had worse."

"Oh yeah?"

"Try fainting in Biology," I told him, and he chortled. It wasn't like me to willingly reveal the misfortunes of being me, but it had just slipped out.

"So how'd you sleep last night?" he asked suddenly, and for a moment the question seemed strange to me, then I realized that he was probably thinking of the scary stories he'd told me, which in turn made me stiffen before I could stop it.

"Oops – that good, huh?"

"Yeah, well – you're good at telling scary stories," I commended, not able to work out the discomfort in my voice. The whole outer-body-experience still bothered me.

"I promise I won't tell any more," he said, holding his hand to his heart.

I smirked. "Thanks, 'cause you looked pretty freaky when you turned into a wolf," I said, then shuddered.

Jacob let out a delighted laugh. "Really? I turned into a wolf? Jeez – that's some wild imagination you've got there," he teased.

"It was a _dream_, brought on by _your_ stories," I told him defensively, folding my arms.

He held his hands up. "Okay, okay," he paused, his eyes twinkled – almost like his dad's, "what did it look like? Was I scary?"

I groaned. "You're as bad as your dad," I accused and he laughed.

"Aw, c'mon – it's just a dream. Humor me – I promise I won't laugh." He straightened himself, forcing a serious expression onto his face.

I eyed him skeptically. "You're lying," I pointed out, seeing the twitch in his top lip.

His mouth popped open in mock-horror, and he scoffed. "I'm no liar," he said proudly, then added, "All right, so I can't guarantee I won't laugh – but it won't be at you, okay?"

I still wasn't convinced, but I told him anyway. "Okay... so it was huge, and I'm talking – massively huge, like," I paused, thinking, "a bear, like a humongous bear – and first you just stood there, and I thought you were afraid – next thing I knew you just leaped forward and – _poof_ – the wolf took your place."

"Poof?"

He started laughing and I scowled at him.

"You're laughing," I pointed out glumly.

He slapped his knee, chortling. "I'm... sorry... it's just – your face when you said 'poof' – awesome."

I pursed my lips. "Glad I amuse you," I allowed sarcastically.

"Aw, don't be like that," he said, the laughter subsiding. "I'm not making fun of you," he promised.

I huffed. "Right."

"I'll make it up to you" – Jacob dug deeper into his pocket, then reached up to tie his hair back – "c'mon," he said, walking past me to open the door.

"I'm not going back in there," I told him warily.

He tilted his head, like he was listening to something, then he smirked. "Dad won't bug you now – they're talking about fishing."

Reluctantly I followed him back inside, through the kitchen and into their living room. Jacob motioned for me to sit on the sofa while he hunched down in front of the book case, and pulled out what looked like a photo-album.

"This should do it," he said, his voice apprehensive, and he came to sit down next to me, opening the album to reveal several photographs of children, a very young and quite handsome looking Billy, and a beautiful woman with straight, black hair. Jacob turned the pages until finally he stopped and handed me the album, pointing a sleek finger at one of the photos.

I covered my mouth, stifling back a laugh.

"Thought you might," he said, smirking.

In the picture was a very young Jacob – about four – and his black hair was pleated into two braids, sticking out stiffly with large colorful scrunchies at the base, and weaved into the hair were ribbons, making him look like Pippi Longstocking – without the freckles, of course.

I remembered this quite well, and the entire thing played out in my head as I continued to look the little boy.

**o~*iii*~o**

"It's not _fair_! I want a sister too! You guys have each other, _and_ you even have _Jacob_!"

"Um, Jacob isn't a sister," Rebecca said importantly.

Rachel nodded her head in fervent agreement. "That's right. He's just a tag along pain in the butt!"

"B-but he's _somebody_! You _can_ play with him if you _had_ to. I don't even have a tag along pain! You have a spare and I have _nothing_!" I bit my quivering lip.

Rachel and Rebecca exchanged that creepy look they always gave each other, making me feel even more left out.

"Okay," Rachel said. "Wait here, and _don't move_!"

They both disappeared down the hallway and I wiped my nose, folding my arms. I stood there waiting forever, hearing scuffling and giggling coming from their room. Great. Again I had fallen for it while they ran off to play without me! It was so unfair – I hated being here! Stupid fishing and stupid, creepy twins!

Suddenly the whole house had gone quiet, then their door opened and I perked up, wiped my tears and peered down the hallway as Rachel and Rebecca came toward me with their creepy smiles on their faces. Ugh!

Then they stepped aside, pushing Jacob toward me. I gaped at him. He was wearing a dress and his pretty, black hair was in pigtails, lots of colorful ribbons and scrunchies in it. I wiped at my nose again.

"Why is Jacob wearing a dress?" I asked suspiciously.

Rebecca stepped toward me, handing me a piece of paper with messy scribbles, snickering. I read it carefully.

_Rebecca and Rachel Black give Bella Swan Jacob. She is now the proud owner of her very own pain in the butt tag along little 'sister'!_

**o~*iii*~o**

I tried desperately to fight the wide smile that wanted to creep onto my lips. "How horrible," I said sympathetically, then I allowed a small grin, "but sort of cute."

Some day I would have to tell him about that, because I doubted that he knew the whole story. He wouldn't remembered.

Jacob rolled his eyes, oblivious to the memory that was now fresh in my mind. "Check this one..." He turned a few pages forward, then pointed to another picture. It was his turn to laugh now.

This picture was taken by the river, and on the edge stood Charlie, Billy and Jacob lined up with fishing rods. It must have been the very same summer I threw that massive tantrum that ended the fishing trips. Jacob pointed out a rock in the background where a girl sat, her face in a permanent scowl and a book in her hands.

"Rachel took this," he told me. "She thought it looked funny with the three of us lined up, and it wasn't until the picture was developed that we noticed you sitting there, moping."

"I think I scared Charlie when we got home, I even screamed at him," I remembered out loud.

Jacob sighed. "This is one of the last pictures of dad standing up, he was already having problems with his legs."

I glanced at Jacob, noting how young he looked with that wistful expression on his face. The urge to comfort him was overpowering and it came as a shock. I wasn't one for physical contact; it just wasn't me. I quickly occupied myself with turning the page.

"My grandma has diabetes," I began carefully, wanting to somehow help him feel that he wasn't alone, "And she's really energetic. If Billy just keeps up treatment he should be fine. I'm sorry if it's been hard for you."

I felt really awkward, but at the same time I felt so bad for Jacob, and if I opened up a little then maybe he'd feel he could talk to me about it if he needed. Not that I expected him to, or thought that I was a great listener, but I would try.

Jacob shrugged. "It's nothing I can't handle, it just annoys me when it's so easy to get help, and then he didn't," his voice dropped to whisper, "because of the Cullens."

I couldn't help the smirk. "You know," I whispered back, "vampires have better things to do than to hang around in high school – think about it, would you go to school if you were a vampire?"

Jacob snorted a laugh. "Nope."

"And," I leaned closer, to make sure Jacob heard since I made my whisper barely audible, "they sleep during the day, and burn in daylight."

He tilted his head, glancing at me through narrowed eyes. "What if it's all a ruse?"

I blinked, then pulled back, realizing our faces were too close. Certainly I would blush, but I ignored it.

"So you _are_ a superstitious native?" I taunted.

"Ha – no. But who really knows these things? What if it's all made up to protect them. Maybe," and now _he_ bent closer, his eyes dark and his smile mysterious. "maybe they really _are_ vampires," he finished in a husky whisper, having taken on that menacing quality like when he'd been telling me the story yesterday. "Maybe they do what's _least_ expected. Like chameleons, they blend in, both for protection and hunting purposes... then, next thing you know – _bam_" – he snapped his fingers right next to my face, making me jump – "and you're toast."

I shoved him away. "That was mean," I scolded.

He wasn't fazed by this, instead he was smiling widely, looking all too happy with himself.

"I thought you said 'no more scary stories'," I reminded him.

"That was a _theory_," he clarified. "But okay. No more. This time I mean it."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure you do, until next time you want to scare me," I pointed out.

"I don't want to scare you," he insisted, "'Sides – I doubt you're easily scared," he complimented smoothly.

"Uh huh, that's why you did what you did, isn't it?"

Jacob just shrugged and grinned.

"Hey, Bells," Charlie called from the kitchen.

"Yeah?" I gave Jacob the album, stood up and walked into the kitchen. "What's up, dad?"

"Billy's asked us to stay for dinner," he began.

"I can cook," I offered quickly, grinning.

"You weren't pulling my leg," Billy said to Charlie then, and I glanced between them. They looked like two kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

"Oh. I get it... you were counting on this, weren't you," I accused, raising an eyebrow at my dad who grinned sheepishly.

"Only if you don't mind," he assured me.

I rolled my eyes. "You _know_ I don't mind. That's why you look so guilty!"

"Seriously, Bells," he said, holding his hands up. "You don't have to."

I scoffed. "I know, but I will – actually," I dug the piece of paper out of my back pocket and unfolded it, "What do you know? I just happen to have a few new recipes with me. Huh. What _are_ the odds? How about some Chicken Fajitas?" I winked at Charlie discretely.

"Jake, come here, son," Billy called out.

Jacob came into the kitchen, and his eyes drifted between Charlie and Billy, then to me before going back to his dad.

"What's going on?"

"You'll go with Bella to the store and pick up whatever she needs – we're having some," he paused and looked at me, "what did you say it was?"

"Chicken Fajitas," I repeated with a smirk.

Jacob's responding smile made me think of the sun breaking through the clouds and, as was becoming a habit, I couldn't help but smile in return.

"C'mon then," Jacob said cheerfully, snatching up the bills his dad had pulled out and placed on the table. "The store's about a fifteen minute walk from here, I'll bring an umbrella, just in case."

He disappeared out the door and I turned to follow him. I could hear Billy's and my dad's muted voices behind me, and before the door closed, I was almost certain, even if I didn't want to think about it, that I'd heard something that sounded like "...it's only a matter of time."

**o~*iii*~o**


	6. Easy As Breathing

_**Disclaimer****: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**_

* * *

**o~*iii*~o**

**Easy As Breathing**

It had been a good idea to bring the umbrella; not because it had started raining, but because if we hadn't I was certain it _would_ have.

When Jacob and I came back, Billy and Charlie had shifted from the kitchen and were now comfortably set up in front of the TV, watching a baseball game. I wondered what was more enjoyable for them about watching: the actual game, or the constant opportunities to disagree with the reffing. Either the referees were incompetent and always made mistakes, or Charlie was incredibly biased toward his own team. I figured it was probably a case of the latter.

Jacob was more than happy to help me, so I hadn't even been given the opportunity to ask, which meant that I wouldn't have to come out and say 'let me teach you how to cook'.

"Whoa, that's potent," he complained, and wrinkled his nose when he took a whiff of the lime juice. "Are you sure this goes on the chicken?"

"Yes," I said, sighing. "Just make sure you distribute it evenly, and don't overdo it."

I had supervised while he cut the chicken into strips, letting him do as much as possible without making it obvious that I was trying to teach him. Not that this was something that required too much preparation, which is why I had chosen the recipe. It should be easy enough for him to do by himself in the future.

The onions were a different story, though, and in the end I had to take over, stifling back on a laugh when his eyes teared up.

"It's the onions," he pointed out, wiping at his wet eyes, then he froze. "What the... ow? Ow – ow, ow, ouch!" He squeezed his eyes shut, his face scrunched up while he pressed the backs of his hands into the sockets. "Oh man, it stings," he whined, then sniffled.

Quickly I turned the water on in the tap and grabbed his shirt, pulling him toward the sink. "Rinse your eyes, you had onion juice on your hands," I instructed. I knew that it hurt; I had learned it the hard way, too, once upon a time.

Jacob ducked his head, splashing water frantically at his face. "Jeez," he breathed, "cooking is dangerous."

I laughed. "Anything can be potentially dangerous without the know-how," I offered sympathetically.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he accused.

"_Me_?" I asked, my voice rose slightly. "Of course not," I said defensively.

He turned his head, smirking at me, his face all wet, and strands of his hair sticking to it. I couldn't help laughing at him again.

"Oh, so you _are_ enjoying it," he teased.

I shrugged. "Maybe a little," I admitted, feigning indifference.

"Right." He straightened, and without warning he flicked the stream from the tap, sending a good splash of water right into my face. I jumped back with a yelp.

"Hey!"

"Now we're talking," he said, laughing.

"Ugh." I snatched the towel that he was wiping his hands on, finding a dry corner to dab my face with.

"I wasn't finished," he protested.

"Too bad," I retorted.

He studied my face, the humor disappearing. "You're not mad are you?"

Did he have to look like a lost puppy? I sighed. "No, I'm not," I assured him.

"Good, 'cause an apology would totally ruin how epic that was," he said, looking smug.

"I guess I got off easily – at least I'm not silly enough to rub my eyes when I've been handling onions," I taunted.

"I'm pleadin' the fifth on that one," he said, smirking.

"You do that, and I'll cut the rest of the onions."

I moved around him, grabbing the knife to finish the rest. Once I had the onions chopped, I put them into a small bowl, then cleaned off the cutting board, while Jacob washed the peppers. Those he managed well enough, and with all the preparations done, and the chicken in its marinade put away in the fridge, we went outside.

"So where do you build your cars?" I asked as we walked down the ramp.

He looked at me, surprised. "You want to see _that_?"

I gave him a puzzled look. "Um – why not? Unless I'm not allowed," I said quickly. Maybe that was off-limits to girls, I thought.

He seemed skeptical. "It's not that," he clarified, "I just didn't think you'd be interested in that sort of thing."

"I'm sure I can handle a bit of dirt and grime," I told him bravely.

Jacob laughed. "Sure – this way."

The garage, as he called it when we entered, was more of a shed than anything else. But it was still large enough to fit his car, which he told me was a 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit. I probably wouldn't remember the entire thing come tomorrow, but the 'Rabbit' part I would. It was a funny name for a car, I thought.

"So," I began, "what else do you do with your spare time – building cars is no small feat." I was genuinely impressed by his plans for the Rabbit, as little as I understood of all the terms he used, but in between I could tell that this was his comfort zone. He was in his element.

He shrugged. "I do a couple of hours here and there down the shop we were just at – then I hang out with Quil and Embry – normal stuff," he explained.

"Quil and Embry? Those are odd names."

"Yeah. Quil's dad is actually Quil Senior – Embry got his name off a soap opera star or something... don't quote me on that, though. They'll fight dirty, and you definitely do _not_ want to get on their bad side."

I think I looked a little scared, because Jacob laughed it off.

"Hey, they won't hurt you as long as I'm around," he assured me, the underlying note in those words holding something I wasn't sure what to do with, so instead I ignored it.

"Okay, I'll just keep quiet if I see them," I promised.

Then suddenly a shout drifted from somewhere outside. "Hey, Black!"

Jacob sighed. "Yeah!" He shook his head, and, I thought, looked slightly uncomfortable suddenly. "Speak of the devil," he said under his breath.

We both turned toward the doors in time to see two dark-skinned boys come through the opening, and I shifted, feeling awkward as their expressions made me feel like there was a lot more to this than I really cared to know. Their surprise and shock was too much, and I glanced at Jacob who didn't seem too happy about the intrusion.

"Hey, guys," Jacob said dispassionately.

"Hey, Jake," the slightly taller and thinner one said, while the shorter one eyed me with far too much interest.

He noticed me noticing, and winked at me. "Hey there," he said in a way that made me think of Joey in Friends, and I half expected him to add 'How _you_ doin'?' It was definitely not fair that I had to blush, but the cursed thing happened anyway.

"Embry, Quil – this is Bella."

Quil and Embry, whichever was which, I didn't know yet, exchanged a meaningful look.

"The Chief's kid, right?" the shorter one stepped forward, offering me his hand, which I shook politely. His grip was quite firm.

"Correct," I confirmed.

"I'm Quil Ateara," he announced with great pride and grandeur, then finally released my hand.

"Nice to meet you, Quil," I said politely, and he flashed me a big smile.

"Hi, Bella – guess it's obvious I'm Embry, huh?" He tucked his chin-length hair behind his ear, giving me a shy smile.

I grinned at Embry. "I suppose so, but nice to meet you all the same," I offered in a friendly tone. It was definitely easier to speak with this one without feeling like I was in an exhibit.

"So what are you guys up to?" Quil asked, still glancing at me.

How I wished he would stop doing that.

"Waiting for the chicken to finish soaking, or whatever it was," Jacob said, looking to me for help, and I laughed.

"It's a marinade," I reminded him.

"Oh right, well," he turned back to Quil, "there you go – uh... we're marinating."

I had to clamp my teeth together really hard or I would have burst into laughter, which I'm sure would have embarrassed Jacob, and that's something I really didn't want to do.

Embry and Quil looked at us, then at each other. They shrugged.

"Cool," Quil allowed.

"What are _you_ guys up to then?" Jacob asked.

"Just checking in to see how you're doing – we heard about Sue's intervention," Embry said.

"News travel fast here at the res," Quil explained to me.

"If you say so." I had no doubt, and something told me that to know the full extent of the meaning behind it, I'd need to be a fly on the wall instead of sitting on this crate. I wondered what Jacob had told them to make them, especially Quil, look at me the way they did.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Quil began, "guess what I saw in the morning paper," he said meaningfully to Jacob, who groaned.

"Don't remind me," he said, sighing. "Dad showed me."

"Maybe you should have waited with the washing machine," Embry added.

Quil smirked, then glanced at me for the umpteenth time. "Jake needs his clothes," he told Embry, giving him a loaded look.

Jacob looked down to the floor, shaking his head.

"I think I'm going to check on the chicken," I announced, glancing at Jacob, giving him a sympathetic smile. I'm sure it would be easier for him if I weren't sitting here, and their conversation was completely lost on me either way.

"Sure thing, I'll be in soon," he said, looking relieved, but smiled back.

Quil gave me another smooth grin. "It was nice to meet you, Bella."

"Yeah, see ya," I said, and to Embry, "You too – bye."

"Bye, Bella," he said, smiling.

I made a quick escape, and as soon as I'd rounded the corner and was out of the garage and out of sight I heard, what I was sure was Embry and Quil, hooting. "Woooo!"

After that, the sound of a struggle ensued, feet shuffled against the cement and an "ouch" followed by a "hey!" was the last I heard.

The laugh that I'd held in came out, in the form of a strangled chortle, and whatever was being said after I left fell short of my earshot. I was quite relieved of that, though, as I wasn't sure I wanted to know what three boys could be discussing.

Since there was nothing for me to do, and the chicken wouldn't be ready for another twenty minutes, I sat down by the kitchen table to read the news paper. When the classifieds header caught my eye, it hit me that I had yet to find a job. Mike had told me that they could use an extra hand at his dad's store, and I decided that I would call Mr. Newton tomorrow after school and talk to him.

I was so engrossed in the paper, and my own little world, that I didn't realize someone had come up behind me, until a pair of warm hands covered my eyes. I could smell onions, lime juice and... motor oil?

"Guess who," Jacob prompted, and I tried to move away. "Oh no – play along," he ordered with humor evident in his voice.

"Ugh," I paused, and then, since the only thing that entered my mind was _Pride and Prejudice_, I answered, "Mr. Darcy."

Jacob dropped his hands, then came to place an elbow on the table next to me, and rested his chin in his cupped hand while giving me a confused look.

"And _who_ is Mr. Darcy?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I sighed but grinned. "Mr. _Fitzwilliam_ Darcy," I clarified, "is the unlikely suitor of Elizabeth Bennet – the heroine and main character of _Pride and Prejudice_," I finished carefully, not sure if he had heard of it.

Jacob's eyes focused on a spot beneath my left eye then, and his upper lip twitched before meeting my eyes again.

"Right – Mr. Darcy," he humored me, "and why am I 'the unlikely," – he grimaced – "suitor'?" he ended; his pronunciation of 'suitor', and assuming the position as Elizabeth's love interest made, me laugh.

I decided, that since he was humoring me I would return the favor, and this was a subject I knew all too much about – I really needed new reading material.

"Well," I began, "not only are you a bit of a pompous stiff, you are also _extremely_ influential, while Elizabeth is not quite in your league... but also, you are finding yourself slightly bewildered by her lack of propriety – she isn't like a lady should be, but still you find yourself drawn to her; it both infuriates you and fascinates you."

Jacob seemed to be mulling this over, and his brows knitted in concentration, then he shook his head.

"Okay – you lost me at 'propriety' – what's that mean anyway?"

I bit my lip. "Etiquette, proper behavior," I clarified. "Um, knowing better than to put your dirty hands over someone's face. You know. Stuff like that."

"Ouch." He laughed. "Okay, I'll let you have that one," he allowed graciously, then his face took on a mask of concentration again – what was he doing? "So, as Mr. – not even going to use the Fitz-whatever – as Mr. Darcy, I have major charm, and I'm a top-honcho... why would I care about this chick's manners? Obviously, if I'm digging her, then I _don't_ _care_ about this – propriety thing. Or maybe I think she's cool _because_ she's not a stiff, like me. It's physics – opposites attract; like negative and positive energies."

My mouth had popped open, but Jacob was completely immersed in his impersonation of Mr. Darcy and his theories, so he ignored my apparent shock.

"That's um, one way of looking at it I suppose," I offered finally. "Still, I'm not explaining it very well, so you'd probably have to read the book to understand it better – well, not that it's _that_ great... you don't _have _to," I added quickly.

Jacob looked thoughtful, then he shrugged. "No that's cool. I'll look it up, and we'll," he motioned between us, "get back to this." He looked like he was going to laugh again, but straightened and went for the fridge. "I'm guessing the chicken is ready?" he asked.

I shook myself mentally. "Um, yes," I answered distractedly.

That had been completely unexpected – was he seriously going to read _Pride and Prejudice_ and discuss it with me? No. He had said he would look it up. Maybe he would just Google it.

I rose from the chair, pushing my confusion aside, and went to help Jacob with the chicken. He pulled out a frying pan while I got the cooking spray out of the cabinet that I'd instructed he buy and use from now on, instead of oil.

"Do you have an apron?" I asked, "I don't want stains on this," I explained, tugging my white tee.

Jacob disappeared, then came back not even one minute later with a light blue apron with sunflowers. I grinned.

"Thanks," I said and went to grab it, but he shook his head.

"I'm doing this," he told me determinedly, "You just tell me what to do." He slipped the apron over his head and tied it around his waist, then pulled himself up proudly. "How do I look?"

I bit my lip, cutting off a laugh. "Good," I complimented.

Jacob and I stood in front of the stove when Charlie came in to check on us, and we both turned to him. The first thing my dad did was to raise his brows in surprise at the sight of Jacob in an apron, then his expression turned to amusement.

"Hey, kids," he said, then looked at me. Suddenly his expression changed, and his eyes narrowed as he studied my face. "Uh, Bells, you have-"

"So, Chief," Jacob cut in, "who's winning?"

My dad tore his eyes away from me, raising an eyebrow. "No one, they're slackers," he said distractedly. Then Billy's abrupt shout brought my dad out of his strange behavior and he darted back to the living room.

Jacob gave me shrug and just grinned. I eyed him suspiciously; something was going on, and it annoyed me that I couldn't figure it out.

"Knock-knock."

The door had opened, and Quil and Embry came inside as I turned to look. They both stopped, just across the threshold, then busted out laughing.

"Dude, that look totally suits you," Quil said in a mock-compliment.

"Hardly, it makes him look like a girl," Embry called Quil on his bluff.

Jacob didn't seem one bit fazed, instead he just smiled, which struck me as odd. I thought he would be at least a little embarrassed that his friends saw him in an apron. My conclusion was that maybe I didn't know boys as well as I thought I did. Or maybe I just didn't know Jacob.

As it turned out, Jacob had invited Quil and Embry to eat with us, and they had been home quickly to ask their parents for permission, which is why they hadn't come inside with him. I was glad that we had bought a large enough amount of ingredients to leave leftovers, or it wouldn't have been enough to feed the additions.

The small kitchen table surprisingly fit all of us, although it was a bit crowded, and Jacob had to bring in a stool from the garage and a plastic garden chair from the front yard.

I had made a salad and placed the reduced fat sour cream and the grated low-fat cheese on the counter; it didn't fit on the table with all our plates. The counter became like a smorgasbord, sort of – self-serving buffet line more like it.

When we were all seated, I soon noticed how I kept receiving curious looks from Quil and Embry, while my dad and Billy exchanged glances. I couldn't help blushing, but I tried to ignore the attention and focused on keeping the chicken from falling out of the wheat tortilla.

"So, Chief," Quil started.

Billy and Charlie both looked at him. "Yes?" they asked at the same time, then they both went on to ask, "Which Chief?"

Quil looked confused. "Uh – the other-" he began to clarify.

"And which is that?" Billy cut in quickly, looking to be enjoying how Quil was suddenly squirming.

"Uh – Chief Swan, sir," he replied, looking embarrassed.

"Ah – well, there you go; Chief, the kid wants to talk to you," Billy said to Charlie who rolled his eyes, scoffing.

"Are you sure about that, Chief?" he asked Billy.

Quil, Embry, Jacob and I glanced between my dad and Billy in utter confusion. I was so out.

The insider joke made Quil return his attention to his wrap, while Charlie and Billy continued their banter. I, too, turned my focus to eating, and the rest of dinner passed in comfortable semi-conversation, mostly involving a fishing trip for the next weekend. It reminded me that I had a shopping trip to fake for next Saturday, and that I had yet to plan the route.

Jacob helped me clear the table after dinner, and even Embry offered to help when I got started on the dishes, grabbing a towel to wipe, while Jacob returned the dry plates and glasses to the cabinets. Quil leaned against the counter, involving Jacob in a conversation about parts for cars which was completely lost on me due to the abundance of foreign words.

"So how are you liking Forks?" Embry asked when I passed him the last plate, and I dug through the soapy water to release the plug.

"It's okay," I replied. "A bit boring, but I think I'll manage."

"You don't _look_ bored," he pointed out, then grinned when I looked up at him.

"I'm not in Forks right now," I told him.

I heard a smack.

"Ow!" Quil yelped. "What was that for?"

"That's for being a smartass," Jacob said pointedly.

Embry and I turned our heads toward them. Quil was rubbing the side of his head.

"What did you do?" Embry asked, curious.

Jacob shot Quil a look of warning.

"Nothing," he said, glaring at Jacob. "Touchy, touchy," he added in a mumble.

"O-kay." Embry turned back to me with a shrug. "Happens all the time."

I glanced suspiciously between Jacob and Quil, then smirked. "I'm sure it does," I said and grabbed the dishrag to wipe down the sink.

Embry had moved over to the kitchen table while I started wiping the counters, then I stopped where Jacob and Quil leaned against it, and I gave them both a look.

"May I?"

Jacob looked at me, confused at first, then his eyes fell to my cheek; there was that twitch to his lips again, and quickly he looked down at the dishrag. "Ah – sorry." He pushed away from the counter, as did Quil.

I continued wiping, returning to the tap to rinse the cloth; when I turned back I bumped into Jacob, whom I hadn't seen come up next to me.

I stepped back. "Oops." I grinned.

"Wait a sec," he said, and leaned over to turn the tap on. He wet the corner of a towel he had in his hand.

"Um – okay." I looked at him, confused.

Jacob turned back to me. "You've uh – got a little something," his eyes zeroed in on my cheek, "from before... when I touched you," he explained apologetically, "here – let me get it for you," he said.

Then he caught my chin in his warm hand and gently tilted my face to his as he wiped my cheek with the damp cloth. At this distance, I noticed how unfairly long and thick his lashes were.

"Your eyes are really pretty," I stated as a matter of fact.

A noise came from the table, making me and Jacob turn to look at Embry and Quil, who suddenly acted like the pattern in the crocheted table-runner held great fascination.

"All right," Jacob said, "don't you girls have some place to be?"

Embry was the first one to stand up. "Um, yeah. I have to uh – help mom," he said importantly, then he glanced at me shyly. "It was nice to see you again, Bella," he added before tugging at Quil's shirt.

"Yeah, yeah," Quil got up, and glanced at me and Jacob quickly. "See you later, Jake – Bella."

They both nearly fell over themselves on their way out the door. I didn't even get a chance to react before they both came back inside, looking embarrassed.

"Thanks for dinner," Quil told me.

"Yeah, it was good," Embry mumbled.

Their second escape was as clumsy and hurried as the first.

"See you in school!" Jacob called after them.

Embry poked his head inside, grinning. "Don't forget the assignment," he said, looking at Jacob, then he disappeared.

I half expected them to come back, so I watched the door suspiciously, which made Jacob laugh at me.

"They're gone now," he assured me.

I glanced at him. "Are you sure about that?"

He hummed, and his eyes flickered to the door. "Yeah," he finally said.

"They're kind of sweet," I mused.

Jacob snorted a laugh. "Don't tell _them_ that, or you'll have a couple of tag alongs."

His choice of words made me laugh. "Definitely don't need any more of those," I said knowingly, and snickered to myself, which made Jacob tilt his head questioningly, a brow raised.

"Do I even want to know?" he asked.

I bit my lip, praying I wasn't giving anything away. "I'll tell you one day," I promised.

"We're going to have to shake on that one." He smirked, holding his hand out.

I eyed it suspiciously, and he rolled his eyes.

"I can touch your face, but you can't shake my hand? That's weak," he taunted.

"Ugh." I reached out and we shook hands.

"That's more like it." He laughed, then added, "Better go wash your hand now, though... if you're afraid of cooties." He winked.

My eyes narrowed. "I will – when you give me my hand back."

A mischievous twinkle appeared in his eyes. "Maybe I don't _want_ to give it back," he countered, his voice huskier than usual, and his hand squeezed mine just that little bit tighter.

"You'll have to explain that one to Charlie then, when he asks why I can't cook for him anymore."

"Good point," he said, then loosened his grip reluctantly and let me go. "Plus – you'll need it to help _me_ cook," he added, then he gave me that brilliant smile of his.

That reminded me, and I pulled the folded paper out of my pocket, and offered it to him. "This is for you," I said, studying his face when he accepted it, his eyes scanning my scribbles. "I have messy handwriting," I apologized.

This made him laugh. "You haven't seen mine yet."

"Okay – show me then," I challenged.

Jacob deliberated for a moment, then he held up a finger before disappearing out of the kitchen. I couldn't help smiling. I had only spent one day with him, yet somehow it felt like I had known him my whole life; which I sort of had, but this was different. Everything just... fell into place. I couldn't explain it, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn't want to analyze it. That thought alone surprised me.

"Hey, Bells," Charlie said and I looked up to see him come into the kitchen.

"Time to go?" I asked, knowing the answer before he replied.

"Well, it's getting late, Bells."

"I'll be right out," I told him. "You can go ahead."

His eyes narrowed, then he studied my face. "All right," he said, then he turned and called out, "See you Saturday, Chief."

"You got it, Chief!" came Billy's cheerful reply.

I shook my head and Charlie grinned sheepishly.

"All right, honey – I'll be waiting in the car."

Not even a minute after my dad had walked out the door Jacob came back. "Sorry 'bout that," he said apologetically. "Now... you need to promise me something," he said, "actually, two things," he corrected.

"I'm not sure I can promise something before I know the terms," I told him sincerely.

"Well, it's the only way you'll see my handwriting." Despite the smile on his face he still looked quite serious.

"Fine. I promise," I agreed, all too curious to see his self-proclaimed horrible handwriting.

"You can't laugh," he instructed, "and... you can't read it until you get home."

I started to protest, but he held his hands up. "Ah-ah – you promised," he reminded me.

"Ugh."

Jacob laughed. "You really don't have much patience, do you?"

"It's not one of my specialties," I admitted regretfully.

He shook his head. "Okay – give me your hand."

This time I offered it without hesitation, and he smirked. "You're getting the hang of this," he complimented, then he took my hand, curling my fingers around the folded note he gave me. "No peeking," he said, raising an eyebrow meaningfully.

"No peeking," I agreed, and he looked relieved, then he let go of me.

I opened my hand, pretending that I would open it, and Jacob's eyes widened in horror, and quickly I shoved the note into my pocket, laughing.

"Gotcha!"

His hand came up to rest on his chest, as he puffed out his relief. Then he laughed, too, shaking his head.

"Ha – you better leave before you give me a heart attack," he joked. "Someone's got to take care of the grump in there." He jerked his thumb toward the living room.

"I heard that, son," Billy called out.

"I better go," I agreed. "Charlie is waiting for me."

Jacob leaned back against the counter. "So I'll see you around then?"

"Yep," I replied. "Or, I'll see _you_ around."

His eyes lit up, as did his smile, and for the umpteenth time today I found myself smiling. Charlie would get suspicious if this carried on for much longer, I thought, laughing to myself as I walked toward the door.

"It was nice to see you, Billy," I called out.

"You too, Bella – don't wait too long before you come back, or you'll be visiting _two_ grumps instead of one!"

Jacob rolled his eyes, but his smile didn't waver, and neither did mine, which made Charlie give me a look when I slipped into the car.

"Only a few years late, Bells. We could have saved a lot of hassle if you'd been this enthusiastic every time we went fishing."

I sniffed. "Better late than never," I said, grinning.

"Huh. Yeah, I guess."

The drive home passed fairly quickly, in comfortable silence; no doubt, after the day we'd had, we were both all talked out. While I hadn't minded the day at all, it wasn't customary for me to talk to so much, but in Jacob's company, I found that I couldn't stop. At least he didn't seem to mind.

Once home, I slipped up the stairs, telling Charlie that I would just hang out in my room and listen to some music. As soon as I had closed the door behind me I quickly crawled on top of my bed and pulled the note out of my pocket, unfolding it with a smile on my face.

I stifled back a giggle when I saw the nearly undecipherable scribbles. He hadn't been joking, I thought, and brought the paper closer to my face. His 'n' looked like an 'r', and some of the 'a'-s looked like 'u'-s. At least, that's what _I_ thought. Some of the 'f'-s were hard to tell apart from the 't'-s, too. The 's'-s were a disaster, not one of them alike. So all in all, he definitely beat me on the atrocious handwriting. I found it quite cute, though.

Then, it all came together, and I stared at the note, finally having figured out what it said.

_If you can read this, then you're better than I thought._

_It also means that, next time you see me, I might be nervous,_

_because you might know that I let you sit through dinner_

_with dirt on your face, and I'm not so sure you will_

_like that. You might even be a little annoyed with me. But, _

_before you get mad, I want you to know that I tried to_

_tell myself 'hey, Jake, you are totally blowing it, tell her' _

_but, you see, that didn't help. What guy will pass up the _

_chance to look at a girl with brake dust on her face? _

_Not me. _

_If you decide this grease-monkey deserves to be forgiven,_

_then that would be really cool. So I hope you're not too_

_mad, because an apology really would ruin it, and I think_

_with some practice, we could get that handshake thing_

_down to perfection._

_Jake_

I hadn't thought about it until now, but it all made perfect sense, and I wondered what they had thought. Did Jacob _want_ his friends to think there was something going on between us? I gave a mental nod; that was a really stupid question, I decided. The way Jacob looked at me didn't escape me, and it was the same way the boys at school looked at me: Mike, Tyler, Eric... ugh.

I fell back on my pillow, then I pulled it out from beneath my head and pressed it into my face instead, muttering to myself. Why did boys have to be so stupid? Then there was Edward Cullen, and suddenly I felt like going down to tell Charlie that I didn't feel well, and pretend that I was sick in the morning. I decided against it when I reminded myself of what a terrible liar I was and lifted the pillow slightly to peek at Jacob's note again.

"You're lucky you're so smooth," I told the note begrudgingly.

Jacob _was_ lucky, or maybe it was me who was lucky, because, after all, I was a horribly dull person, but around Jacob it didn't matter – it didn't seem to dawn on him at all how incredibly plain I was. So it was easy to forget.

"_Fine_, you're forgiven!"

I got up and sauntered over to my desk to pull out the top drawer, then dropped the note and shut the drawer with a forceful shove. I plopped myself down on the edge of the desk with folded arms. Suddenly a plan was forming in my head, and I dragged the chair over to my closet.

On the top shelf were a couple of boxes with things from the summers I had spent here with Charlie. I think this was one of the things that Renée had given me – an inability to fully let go of things, and for that I was now very grateful. I just hoped that I could find what I was looking for.

The hunt through the first box proved fruitless, and, disappointed, I put it back before pulling down the other one. Hope flared when a colorful scrunchie caught my eye and, impatient as I was, I turned the box upside down and emptied the entire thing on the floor.

In my mind I remembered it to be pink construction paper, and then, suddenly, there it was. I snatched it up and unfolded it, smoothing it on top of my thigh: my receipt, proving that I was the proud owner of my very own tag along pain in the butt little 'sister'.

"You _so_ won't see this one coming," I said, giving out a sinister little laugh.

**o~*iii*~o**


	7. The Deal

_**Disclaimer****: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**_

* * *

**o~*iii*~o**

**The Deal**

Going back to school after the weekend I'd had was, at first, quite a big bore. But I hauled myself through the day – Mondays were always the worst, I told myself.

The last fifteen minutes of Spanish grated on my nerves, and while I usually would enjoy this class, I think Lauren might have been the culprit. The girl was insufferable, and her nasal voice, which seemed to get worse as the minutes ticked by, made me want to claw my brain out.

Angela noticed my poor attempts at trying to concentrate on the textbook and leaned in to whisper that it would calm down as soon as the spring dance was over. Then she had added that, of course, it would start up again a couple of weeks before prom. I made a comment that there were more important things in life than some stupid dance, which made Angela laugh. This earned both of us a dirty look from Lauren; she flipped her corn-blond hair when she turned her attention back to her own book.

Lunch was even worse, since Lauren had to be the center of attention, which meant that she had to talk constantly. At least I was glad that my 'new girl' status was settling down. Not that Mike cared about that, to Jessica's irritation.

I couldn't do anything right by them, but I was grateful for Angela who would slip in a quiet question or two when I got caught in the crossfire.

On the way to Biology, I took the opportunity to talk to Mike, since Jessica had walked ahead with Lauren.

"Hey, Mike," I began.

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering... is your dad at the store today? I was going to call, but then I thought I could just swing by after school – does he still need that extra hand?"

At this Mike looked immensely pleased. "Mom's there today, but you can talk to her, too," he said brightly, then he added, "I'm pulling a shift after school today – I'll put in a good word for you."

"Oh, that's not needed," I protested.

"I don't mind," he insisted, eager to please.

"Um, okay. Thanks." I grinned.

Mike beamed. "No problem."

I had nearly forgotten about Edward Cullen – nearly. But the moment I laid eyes on his arrogant posture, as I came through the door, he flashed me that crooked smile of his, which made me feel like punching him in his stupid, flawless face. It amazed me that he was able to seem genuinely friendly one moment, and the next act like I was a bug he wanted to squash under his stylish shoes.

"Hello there, Bella," he said in his usual, cultured accent.

"Hey," I said politely, and sat down; the way he ever so slightly seemed to lean away didn't escape me and a sudden impulse nearly made me ask what his problem was.

"We'll be dissecting a squid today," he told me, as if the prospect was incredibly exciting.

I couldn't help but grimace. "Great," I said sarcastically.

Mr. Banner came through the door carrying a larger box and I shuddered from the flashback I had of Biology last week. This should be bearable, I tried to tell myself.

"You may come up front to get your squishy toys," he prompted to the class, and I heard the responding giggles and snorts of disgust, mixed with the boys' obvious delight. I even heard a "sick" and a "wicked".

Reluctantly I slipped off my chair, but Edward was already in the aisle.

"Allow me," he said, making me pause next to the desk. How was it that he always managed to be one step ahead of me all the time?

I waited as he walked to retrieve two of the slimy looking blobs, and placed one in front of me before returning to his spot. I listened attentively while Mr. Banner gave us our objectives, noticing from the corner of my eye how Edward was watching me.

The corners of my mouth turned down as I studied the squid suspiciously, and wondered how this would be educational in the greater scheme of things. Carefully I poked at the jelly-like surface, noting how the entire thing quivered. I shuddered.

Edward's low chuckle made me glance at him. "What?"

"It's already dead, you know, it won't hurt you – trust me," he said with humor.

I sniffed. "I know that – it's just... gross."

He went on to gut his squid expertly and I stared at it; my stomach turned slightly. I tried to tell myself that it was fake and what I was looking at wasn't really squid guts.

We were given a short questionnaire to fill out while we dissected the squids, and for the first time since I'd been assigned the spot next to Edward, I felt somewhat thankful. He was far better at this than I was, and it certainly helped that he wasn't squeamish like me.

"That wasn't too terrible, was it?" he asked as we finished up the last objective and started cleaning our desk.

I shrugged. "I live to see yet another day – wonders will never cease."

This was apparently not the right thing to say, as his face darkened visibly.

"What?" I couldn't stop the question, and I was so tired of his mood swings. "You know, Edward," I began evenly. "Your mood swings could give people whiplash."

When I met his eyes, I instantly wished I hadn't. The odd color was one thing, but there was something about the way he looked at me that froze me in place, and for the life of me I couldn't tear myself away.

Edward was the first to break eye contact, looking to the window. "My apologies," he said in a low voice.

I blinked, shaking myself mentally. Snap out of it, I told myself. There had been plenty of attractive boys in Phoenix, but I'd never gawked at them like this, and it made me feel stupid. Of course, Edward Cullen was slightly more than just attractive, but it was no excuse. Besides, he had obvious mental issues.

"It's fine," I offered finally when I had gathered enough wits to speak. Fine? It was definitely not fine – I glanced at him warily; he was still looking out the window, his posture stiff. His face was troubled, and then I was slightly thrown; he looked like he was in pain. Maybe he was sick?

"Are you okay?" I was genuinely concerned, which made him turn to me with an unfathomable expression on his face.

This time I was prepared, so instantly I dropped my eyes to the paper in front of me – even if I had to fight not to look at him. For what felt like forever he didn't say anything, and I grew more uncomfortable under his intense gaze, while his eyes burned holes into my scull.

Don't look, don't look, don't look, I chanted.

The bell rang then and once again he all but pounced from his seat and was out of the classroom, leaving me gaping after him.

"Did you stab Cullen with a pencil again?" came Tyler's voice right next to me, and I snapped out of my stupor.

"Huh – no," I said. "I didn't even touch him," I added defensively.

"Maybe he felt sick – what a girl," Mike said. "I thought the squids were a trip!"

"Ugh."

"What's the matter, Swan? You're not going to faint again, are you?" Lauren threw me a sarcastic smirk as she sashayed past me. I had the sudden urge to rip her golden locks clean off her head. My thoughts must have been written on my forehead because Tyler laughed.

"Easy tiger. Ignore her."

"Easier said than done," I said in a menacing tone.

"So true," Mile agreed, "but let's get going. We've got baseball today!"

My eyes widened. "Oh no," I moaned miserably. "Better have a rescue team on standby," I added before turning to grab my books.

Sports in general were a hazard when I was involved, and as I'd predicted, not only did I manage to swing the bat into the catcher, but when it was my turn to pitch I just about popped my shoulder. Mike and Tyler were delighted at my failed attempts, which gave my face a permanent flush for the remainder of the hour.

I had hoped that my miscalculated aim when batting would somehow, miraculously, send the ball into Lauren's head, but of course I wasn't that lucky.

Before I walked out of the locker room Lauren called out to me, and I turned, forcing a polite expression onto my face.

"Yes, Lauren?"

She dug into her bag, then handed me a colorful slip of glossy paper. "My aunt owns a salon in Port Angeles, and she gives me these vouchers – you should get a tan on you."

I stared at her, shocked. "Um, thanks, I guess – b-but why?" I stuttered.

Her perfectly plucked brows knitted together and she scrutinized me. "Are you too good or something, Swan?"

"No," I replied, fighting the irritation that was bubbling up inside me.

"Good. Let me know if you need another one, I have plenty. Oh... and bring a couple of Tylenol with you, I usually get a headache afterward." She smirked, then slipped around me before I could say anything else. Just as I was about to leave, Jessica came around the corner. She whipped past me, and through the door, where Lauren had disappeared only a few seconds prior. Wow. She didn't look happy.

I turned and hurried toward the parking lot, deeply confused.

It wasn't the first time someone had commented on my general paleness. While I wasn't happy about it, I would try not to let it get to me too much. Lauren's gesture had been highly out of character, and I wondered if she realized that I couldn't actually use the voucher. I didn't tan: I burned.

Newton's Olympic Outfitters was on the opposite side of town from the school. Mike was at the counter folding what looked like flyers when I came through the entrance and he looked up; he flashed me a bright smile.

"Hi Bella!"

"Hey, Mike."

"Mom's out the back – wait here and I'll get her for you." He walked toward a door at the end of the desk, then turned before opening it. "I've buttered her up for you," he said conspiratorially and winked.

I rolled my eyes. "You didn't need to do that," I told him, but I was grateful for his attempt – Mike was, regardless of his incessant flirting, a nice boy. Between him and Angela, they were definitely the only ones putting an effort into making me feel welcome. Here in Forks, anyway, I noted. Jacob had his own way of making it all endurable, and I was surprised at the smile that crept onto my lips.

Mrs. Newton was short and her steely eyes made for a fierce impression. Instantly I got the feeling that this wasn't a woman whose bad side you wanted to get on. If this was the 'buttered up' version of her then I was immediately all too happy for Mike's eagerness to please.

"Isabella Swan," she said, "Last time I saw you you were hiding behind your father while he was discussing tackle with my husband."

I restrained the urge to correct her; if I had to be called Isabella to get a job then I would just have to suck it up. College didn't pay itself.

"Hi, Mrs. Newton," I said politely and shook her hand. Even her handshake was intimidating. "Mike mentioned that you were looking for some extra help."

She was sizing me up. "Yes, we are. I won't lie, if it wasn't for Michael being so obviously taken by you, or your father being Chief of Police – well, I prefer boys helping us. But," she glanced at Mike, who smiled at me reassuringly, "I'm willing to give you a trial. You can come in tomorrow after school – shall we say four-thirty?"

"I'll be here," I promised, offering her a confident smile.

I didn't stick around for long, since I wanted to swing by the library before going home. After yesterday's conversation with Jacob, I had really started to think about my outdated reading material, and now I was almost embarrassed about it. Jacob's theory on it had also stuck in my head, and while I was sure that it wasn't the author's intention, I couldn't deny that it was a very good point. It was easy to be biased when I'd spent so many hours with the characters in both _Pride and Prejudice_ and _Wuthering Heights_. Then there was _Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet_, which I hadn't read for a couple of weeks. Yes – I definitely needed to find some new books.

Once inside the doors I paused, realizing I had no library card, so I steered toward the front desk first to fill in my details on a form, then was given a temporary slip. The library in Forks wasn't at all what I had expected – while small it must have recently gone through a major refurbishing. Down in the far corner, with panoramic windows facing a small park, and the forest beyond, stood a group of royal blue one-seaters and a light wooden table in the middle – a few magazines and papers littered across the surface.

I wandered aimlessly through the aisles, not sure what I was looking for. I started by pulling out books with interesting titles, only to put them back when the summary didn't catch my eye. When I came across _Bram Stoker's Dracula_ I decided that I was way off, and quickly pushed it back.

Vampires had never fascinated me, despite the climbing popularity among my peers. Once I had seen parts of _Interview With A Vampire_, and while the man who portrayed _Lestat_ had played his part quite well I had found the other one awfully whiny. Then, when there had been a scene of _Luis_ sucking on rats in a sewer I had quickly switched the channel. I shuddered. Disgusting.

I had given up, and was on my way out; I rounded the corner and walked straight into a cart, causing the librarian to gasp.

"Oh! You poor dear – I'm so sorry," she flustered while I clenched my teeth together to stop myself from crying out in pain. The corner had caught my shin and it really, really hurt.

"It's fine, it was my fault... here, let me help you," I said apologetically and dropped down to help her pick up the books that had fallen off. Fantastic. Not even the library was safe. I should probably stay in my room or next thing I'd cause the apocalypse. I was actually surprised I hadn't run anyone over yet with my monstrosity of a truck.

I handed her the last book. "There – I'm sorry about that."

"Don't worry yourself, dear – are you not getting anything today?" she asked when I began to walk away.

I shrugged. "I was going to, but I can't find anything – guess I wasn't really in the mood for reading."

She smiled, and I decided her face was very friendly. "You could always try this one," she held up the book I had handed her only seconds ago, "it's quite popular, my daughter likes it."

I looked at the title: _American Gods._ It sounded far too loaded, but at the same time – I stepped toward her and accepted it, turning it over to read the summary.

"I can guarantee; you've never read anything like it," she promised, as if she was trying to sell it to me. She hadn't needed to, though. The summary instantly made me want to find out more, so I grinned at her.

"What do you know, my klutziness actually proved useful this time – I _am_ sorry, though."

"Don't be," she reassured me, "...and enjoy the book."

"Thanks. I think I will."

Charlie was in the backyard when I came home, and he was going to town on the bushes. Since we still had that risotto that I'd made on Saturday, and it was still good, I didn't need to cook tonight. There was no laundry to do either, so I thought I may as well see if Charlie needed a hand.

"Hey, dad," I called out.

He looked up. "Oh hey, Bells. I should have done this last year... but I was lazy."

I grinned. "Do you want help?"

"Don't you have homework?"

Trig. Ugh. "Yeah, but it's easy enough, I can spare half an hour," I offered.

"Well," he paused, wiping his forehead with his wrist, then he pointed to a pile of dry twigs and leaves, "you could take those and put them in a garbage bag," he suggested.

"Sure." I tore off a bag from the roll and got to work. "By the way," I said, while shoving the waste into the bag, "I went to see Mrs. Newton today, and she's giving me a trial run for a position at the store. So you're on your own for dinner tomorrow. I'm going straight there after school."

"That's great, Bells."

"I'll need some extra cash for prom," I said casually, and I could feel how Charlie had stopped, which made me glance at him. His face was surprised, then he scoffed.

"Guess Billy was right," he said, and shook his head.

I shoved some more weeds into the bag. "Right about what?" I asked finally, trying to figure out what he was getting at.

"The boys at school," he clarified.

"Oh." I laughed. "No – no one has really asked me yet, but I know they will, and you know I don't dance, dad," I reminded him.

Charlie gave me a puzzled look. "Then – I thought you said..."

I kept a straight face. "I'm not going there to dance," I told him, "and my date doesn't even know I'm taking him... yet," I finished, not managing very well to keep the humor out of my voice.

His brows pulled down in suspicion. "Aren't the boys supposed to ask about these things?"

"I'm not into all the traditional stuff, dad. Besides, this is to protect me from another repeat of the whole spring dance thing." I cringed.

"All right. So who's the lucky guy?" he asked in an awkward attempt at teasing. As always the blood in my veins favored my face.

"Dad," I protested, "It's not like that. It's not a 'date' date. It's um – you know what: never mind. Forget I said something."

"Well, if he's going to be escorting you to the prom, I want to meet him, Bells."

I blanched. "Um, well, you kind of already know him, dad," I said, and my face grew hotter. Great. Now he was going to think things. Ugh. I should have just kept my mouth shut. But Charlie was right. He _would_ have to meet this guy. Even if _I_ didn't care for all that traditional nonsense. It made me wonder if I'd be able to pull it off without raising suspicion.

Of course, I was sure that the guy in question wouldn't mind at all what it _might_ look like. But I would make it very clear what it was about. Plus, there was also a condition to it. After all, he had made me walk around with his smudge on my face, like I was marked. Ugh. Such typical neanderthal behavior. Well, if he had put his mark on me, it was only fair that I got to leave my very _own_ mark on _him_. I needed to show off my little 'sister', after all.

I could see the cogs turning in Charlie's head while he tried to figure out what I was talking about. My dad was Chief of Police, and I knew I wouldn't have to say anything else when I saw everything click into place. The his expression changed; he was trying to mask how pleased he was but of course, Charlie was just about as good of a liar as I was.

"Well, Bells – I'm surprised," he said feigning disinterest.

"No you're not," I called him on his fraud.

"You know he doesn't have a license, right?"

I studied him. "Does that matter?" I sounded almost defensive.

Charlie's eyes widened. "No, I didn't mean it like that – how is he going to get back home? You're not going driving around in the middle of the night," he said brusquely.

I thought for a moment. "We have a couch," I pointed out. Jacob was taller than me, though. "Well, I can sleep on the couch and he-" Maybe not. I don't think I wanted Jacob sleeping on my bed. Suddenly my cheeks were burning.

"We have an air mattress in the basement. He can sleep on the floor in the living room," Charlie said with finality, then turned his attention to the bushes, seemingly just about as embarrassed as I was.

That hadn't been so bad, I told myself. It could have been a lot worse. I believe the hardest part was over. Getting Jacob to go, I hoped, would be easier. Of course, there was that condition, and I wondered how difficult it would be to get him to agree to it, even with my receipt. I was banking on that he would take it with good humor. I would have to leave it for an opportune time, however.

I hurried to fill the bag, and slipped discretely back inside once finished, to deal with my homework; we had a Trig test on Friday. After one hour of studying I had to give up due to my stomach growling at me, and I joined Charlie in the living room with a plate on my lap.

We didn't discuss the prom thing again.

The next few weeks settled into a comfortable pace. I went to school and managed quite well to ignore Lauren. Edward Cullen was a bit more of a challenge, since I had to sit next to him in Biology, and his strange behavior continued. Some days he would be polite and at times almost friendly, nearly tolerable. Then he would hit his limit, and I spent that hour of Biology trying to keep my growing discomfort to myself.

It was strange; I had never met anyone who was able to make their moods affect me so much, which made me question my own sanity. One moment I would feel perfectly at ease, until suddenly his face would turn into a mask of various emotions, all of them making me feel both upset and worried at the same time.

Another thing was upsetting me: I hadn't been able to go down to La Push. Mrs. Newton had been happy with my performance on the first day, and I had received shifts to last me all through to spring break, which left me with little spare time. The days I didn't work I spent studying for a few upcoming tests before school was out.

I _had_ spoken to Jacob on the phone a couple of times, though. Once I had realized that I would be very busy I had made the call, if only to assure him that if I didn't come to visit it was because I had work and a heavy study load. He'd been so happy when I'd called that I felt horribly guilty for not having done so earlier, which made forgiving him for the whole 'dirt on my cheek' thing seem silly; what was there to forgive, really. He hadn't meant anything by it, and if I was going to be a brat about it, that chance had passed me by after he had wiped it off me.

Still, I needed Jacob to come to prom with me. Tyler had started following me around again, same with Mike, asking to take me to the sordid ordeal. The worst part about it was that I had told them both that I already had a date, which made me feel guilty, since I really _had_ meant to talk to Jacob about it first. I suppose I had been a little selfish, wanting to get Tyler and Mike off my back about it. It had worked, though – almost. Tyler was surprising me; I would have thought Mike to be more persistent and reluctant to give up.

The most notable thing that happened during those few weeks leading up to spring break, in school that is, was the change in the relationship between Jessica and Lauren. If the girl hadn't hated me before, she certainly did so now, and with a fierce intensity.

Apparently Lauren had meant to get my skin into trouble. After Gym that day Lauren had told Jessica about it, but she hadn't believed that she would actually try. But Jessica had seen her give me the voucher, which is why she had run after Lauren to confront her about it. She had told her that she thought it was a bit too mean. Then, when she had continued to tell her to at least try to be polite, Lauren had thrown a hissy fit, and now they were only _just_ on speaking terms.

At first when I found out, I had told Jessica that she shouldn't have put her friendship in jeopardy for my sake. She'd proceeded to tell me that someone who did something like that was no friend of hers, which Lauren had overheard, and that had been it. So now I lived through every school-day in fear that Lauren would place a bomb in my locker to blow me up or something; that's how bad the stares were that she sent me. Dirty looks didn't do it anymore – 'if looks could kill' came to mind instead.

So now Angela and I – we had developed a very nice and comfortable friendship – were blessed with Jessica's incessant babbling. It was harmless, really, but what I liked so much about Angela was that the girl knew and understood the meaning of 'comfortable silence'. Jessica, on the other hand, felt the need to fill any quiet void that surpassed the ten-second-mark with insignificant comments and details about... everything – everyone.

Suffice to say, when the last Friday before spring break came around, I felt drained. At least I had passed all my tests. I was looking forward to a break, if you could call it a break – I still had work. Why did I always have to be so agreeable when it came to my elders? Couldn't I be like most teenagers and be a rebel? The moment I felt someone had the upper hand – like Mrs. Newton – I readily agreed to everything they asked, and as such, I had a ton of shifts for the break.

There was a flurry of activity in school, and the only thing worth talking about were the things we would do on our break. Jessica was begging me to let her come visit – nosy girl – and to invite Angela around, too, so we could have a girls' night. The very thought of it made me cringe, but I didn't want to seem like I didn't want her around. I suggested that I'd talk to Charlie to see if I could invite some friends to watch a movie or something. Jessica had squealed in delight, and had told me she would bring Mike. Angela had been on a few dates with another boy in our class whom she said she could invite along, which left me the odd one out. Not that I minded, I was quite used to it.

I had two hours at the Newton's Outfitters after school, so when I got in my truck afterward I almost called Charlie from my cell phone and asked him to come pick me up. I was ready to drop. But the mortification of riding in the cruiser to the store tomorrow was too much, so I sucked it up and kept the windows down and the music blaring to keep me from drifting off to sleep.

A familiar truck was parked out the front when I rounded the corner and something bubbled up my throat. It took me by surprise; I hoped Jacob had tagged along. The thought of his carefree spirit made the sleepy haze in my brain dissipate and I nearly fell over on my way out of my truck. I both laughed and told myself to snap out of it at the same time.

When I opened the door I nearly had a heart attack.

"Hey, stranger. Took you long enough," he said in his pleasant husky voice, then he laughed at the startled expression on my face.

"Hi!" I said breathlessly, and laughed, too.

"Where's the fire?" he asked jokingly and I smacked his shoulder.

"Ugh. Since when did a girl need an excuse to be happy to come home after a hard day's work?"

I closed the door behind me and took my jacket off, which Jacob ever so smoothly grabbed and hung on a coat hanger for me.

"Why, thank you," I said graciously.

"Darcy," he said in a hilarious, feigned British accent. "The name's Mr. _Fitzwilliam_ Darcy."

I laughed. "Are you sure you're not mistaking it for 'Bond – _James_ Bond'," I teased.

He looked appalled. "I have no idea what you're insinuating, my lady," he continued expertly, and I had to bite my lip so I wouldn't laugh again.

"Very well then," I said, in my own horrible British accent. "Thank you so much, Sir – er, I mean; Mr. _Fitzwilliam_ Darcy."

Jacob gave me that bright smile of his, and I realized how much I had missed it.

"What are you kids talking about out there?" came Charlie's suspicious query.

"Hey to you too, dad," I called back, then walked past Jacob, grinning, to find Billy and my dad with their eyes glued to the flat screen. I rolled my eyes.

"Hello there, Bella!" Billy greeted me enthusiastically. "Boy am I glad to see you made it before we had to leave – I couldn't take it anymore. He has been bugging me to go see _Charlie_ for weeks."

"Geez, dad. Layin' it on a bit thick now aren't you?"

"Never. It's the golden truth, son," he said and winked at me, making me blush.

"Huh – didn't know I was so popular," Charlie said gruffly.

"Hi, Billy," I managed finally.

"There's food in the kitchen for you, Bells." My dad turned and winked at me, which made me raise an eyebrow, then I sniffed the air discretely.

"You cooked?" I asked in disbelief.

Jacob cleared his throat next to me, and I turned to look at his wide grin.

"...you?" I stared at him.

"Hey, don't look so shocked. It's been like three weeks or something-"

Billy cut him off. "But who's counting, right, son?"

Jacob rolled his eyes. "C'mon, dad," he pleaded under his breath, then smiled at me apologetically. "Tons of stuff can happen in three weeks," – he shot his dad a look of warning – "and you _did_ give me those recipes. I've been practicing," he revealed proudly.

Wow. "Okay," I hedged, "so... do I dare try it?"

He laughed, then jerked his head toward Billy and Charlie. "_They_ are still alive," he offered as proof.

"Well, I better give it a try then, shouldn't I?"

Jacob followed me into the kitchen where there was a big crock pot on the counter, and I glanced at him, impressed, then lifted the lid to take a whiff.

"Nice!" I complimented earnestly. It certainly _smelled_ great. "How many times have you made the beef stew?" I asked while getting a bowl down from the overhead cabinet.

Jacob grinned sheepishly, then laughed. "Too many," he admitted.

I grinned and grabbed the ladle from the dish rack. "I bet you've made it into an art, then."

"Naw, I wouldn't say that," he said, sounding modest.

"Let's find out."

He joined me at the table. I winked at him and held the first spoon up ceremoniously, which made him roll his eyes.

"Just eat already," he ordered.

"Impatient, are we?"

He only snorted.

"Okay, okay – I'm eating."

It tasted just as good as it had smelled, and I gave him a thumbs up, my mouth full of food, and he beamed in response.

"So tell me what you've been up to," I asked in between bites.

"School, work, hanging out with the guys – they keep asking when you're coming back, of course," he said, and rolled his eyes, "especially Quil." The way he said his name was as if he'd tasted something sour, which made me give him a suspicious look.

"Don't ask, he's just being Quil."

"I can imagine," I thought out loud in half a mutter.

Jacob laughed. "He's cool, just – yeah. Anyway. Been working on the Rabbit... and taking care of the old man, of course."

"Very well, too," I complimented, motioning to my bowl with the spoon.

My compliments made him look very happy, and I realized I liked that I was able to do that. Then suddenly I remembered what I'd been telling my friends at school and felt guilty.

"What about you? How's that job going?"

I grimaced, and he snorted a laugh.

"It's okay, I guess – College doesn't pay itself, and if I want a shot at it I need to work my butt off," I said begrudgingly. "I've got several hours nearly every day of spring break. At this rate I won't get much time to relax until summer comes – I've got SAT's coming up, too." I sighed.

"Do you know where you want to go yet?" he asked curiously.

I shook my head. "I have no idea," I admitted. "There's still time to think."

My bowl was empty and I looked down at it in surprise.

"Knock yourself out," he said and jerked his thumb toward the counter.

"I just might," I said, then realized how true that could be.

Before I could even get up, though, Jacob had grabbed my bowl and went to get me more stew.

"How much?"

"Just a little, or I might explode."

Jacob skimmed through the news paper while I finished my second serving then leaned back. I slipped down slightly, and stretched my legs and arms, accidentally bumping my foot into his.

"Sorry," I said, stifling back a yawn with my hand over my mouth.

He just shrugged, but smiled, his eyes on the paper still. "It didn't hurt."

As I continued looking at him I could tell that there was something different about him since last time, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. He had his hair pulled back like the first time I'd seen him, his face was still very pleasant to look at – he always looked so happy... and cute, a small voice added.

"What?" he asked.

I snapped out of it, and realized I'd been blatantly staring at him, which in turn made me blush. He looked self-conscious suddenly.

"You look different..." Great. What a stupid thing to say.

His eyes narrowed, thoughtful as he scrutinized my face, then he shook his head. "Nope. Still the same. You could do with some dirt on your face though," he teased.

I scoffed. "Not a chance."

"Aw – shame."

I sat up then, looking at him. This was the perfect time to get this over and done with, I thought and stood up.

"Come with me for a minute, I want to show you something." I grabbed my bowl and put it in the sink on my way past it. Then I stopped, pulling out a couple of cans of Coke from the fridge, before I climbed the stairs, Jacob on my heels.

I closed the door behind me and handed him one of the cans. "Here."

"Thanks," he said, looking around my room. He went up to my desk and picked up a picture frame of me and Renée – oh no.

"Cute," he said, and he sounded all too amused.

My cheeks burned. "Ugh. Put it back," I begged, and went to take it from him but he raised it out of my reach. "Hey! Not fair."

Jacob laughed. "What's wrong with it?" he pressed.

"I'm in a tutu and leotards – _that's_ what's wrong with it. It was a disaster, I don't even know why Renée insisted. She knew I had inherited just about everything from Charlie, including the whole 'two left feet' thing."

He raised an eyebrow. "I've never seen him trip over himself," he said, confused.

"Well... he can't dance, and neither can I," I amended in a mumble.

"Ah." Jacob set the picture frame back on my desk and I put it face down, resisting the urge to poke my tongue out at him.

"So, before I show you this little something," I paused, suddenly finding myself robbed of my entire vocabulary. How did I say this without making it sound like a 'date'? I didn't want it sound like I was using him, either – even if I was, in a little way. The prospect of going to the prom with him wasn't _that_ terrible. If I would ever feel comfortable at a place where people dance, Jacob would be the one to help me achieve that.

Jacob sat down and popped the can open. "You're making me nervous," he accused, and I gave him an apologetic look while he sipped his Coke, waiting patiently.

"Okay, here's the thing..." There was only one way of doing it. Just say it. And I did. "You're coming to the prom with me," I blurted, and my cheeks burned even more than before.

A strange choking noise came from him, and then I saw Coke coming out of his nose. He spluttered and put the can on the desk before pressing his hands against the sides of his nose.

I gasped. "Oh no!" Of course I would cause a disaster. Ugh!

"I'm _w-what_?" he choked out, then he leaned forward, groaning. "Oh man, it burns..."

I went for the door and flung it open, darting down the stairs and into the laundry room for a clean towel, then quickly back up the stairs again. Charlie yelled something after me.

"We're fine! Just spilled some Coke!" I yelled back.

Jacob was staring at me when I came back into the room, and I cringed at the sight of his teary eyes. I had snorted fizzy drink through my nose once, and it was a million times worse than onion fumes. Carefully I held the towel out to him, feeling not only ashamed, but incredibly stupid. I should have been more observant, and maybe realized that he wouldn't just sit there and shrug at me.

"I'm seriously sorry, Jacob-"

Jacob took the towel, wiping his face and hands, still staring at me.

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly.

He twirled the towel in his hands, then his eyes dropped to focus on the action. "Uh... are you, I mean... I'm... I'm c-coming to the prom... with _you_? _Me_?"

"Well, yes," I confirmed, "of course, you don't have to..."

Jacob looked up at me suddenly. "I want to! Uh, I mean – will my feet be safe?" he asked casually.

"Ugh. We're not going there to dance," I clarified quickly, which made him straighten up and he tilted his head.

"Isn't that what people go to prom for... to dance, I mean?"

I folded my arms. "I _don't_ _dance_, and I _won't_."

"O-kay... so why do you want to go to the prom then?"

"I don't actually want to go... but a friend of mine begged me to come along for moral support. She has just started dating this new guy, so I'll be there in case things get awkward. Her name's Angela – you'll like her."

"So that's where I come in, huh? _Your_ moral support?"

His eyes followed me as I opened the top drawer to my desk and pulled out the folded, pink construction paper. He gave me a puzzled look when I handed it to him.

"Yes," I answered finally, then I sucked up all the courage I had, "but, just so you know, in case you're thinking about backing out – you don't really have much choice in the matter," I told him, mustering as much confidence as I could, "after all, I kind of own you."

Jacob's brows shot up and I nodded toward the paper in his hand, and he unfolded it to look. His eyes widened, and he shook his head and started laughing.

"Yeah, that would be right," he said, snorting, "this has Rachel written all over it. I bet you my right arm she wrote this." He kept glancing at my receipt. "So what are you planning? Dressing me up like a girl?" He sounded amused.

"No! You will need um-"

He made a face. "A tux?"

I tried to imagine what he might look like in one, then decided that I was very curious about it. "Yes," I confirmed. "Or a suit, whichever you prefer. But there is one condition," I added, studying his face. "I think that... since you put dirt on my face, and I had to sit through dinner while your friends stared at me... well – it's only fair that I get to do something to _you_," I finished, gauging his reaction.

One corner of his mouth lifted. "And what's that?"

"I get sole ownership of your hair."

Jacob blinked. "My hair?"

I nodded, ignoring the fact that my cheeks were hot. "Yes. Your hair. It will be mine for the entire day, and I'll get to do with it as I see fit."

"Why are you blushing?" he asked curiously.

That, of course, made it even worse. "Genetic flaw – now... do we have a deal?"

He sat there for a couple of seconds, then he reached back and pulled the rubber band out of his hair. "Show me what you're going to do, then we'll see."

Okay. That was unexpected. I hadn't figured out just yet what I would do, and judging by my hesitation I wondered if I hadn't half expected him to say no. Of one thing I was absolutely certain though: the unhealthy amount of times I'd thought about what it might be like to touch his hair. Would it be as silky smooth as it looked?

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "I don't bite," he joked.

I sniffed. "Not _yet_," I pointed out, and moved to stand behind him, "wait until I hurt you."

At this he snorted. "You can't hurt me." He sat up straight, squaring his shoulders. "C'mon, do your worst."

"Ha." I reached out and started gathering the black strands into my hands, and quickly came to the conclusion that my thoughts hadn't done it justice; it was _unbelievably_ soft. "Can you open the second drawer and grab a couple of rubber bands?" I asked.

"I've got spares," he said and scooted down to get his hand into his pocket.

"Well, aren't you resourceful," I complimented. He shrugged and held up a couple of rubber bands. "Keep them, I'll let you know when I need them."

I parted it all, strategically and neatly, in the middle, then moved to his side to split it into three even-sized parts. When I started braiding he suddenly shivered.

"Are you cold?" I asked, and peered at my window; it was closed.

"Uh... no."

"Okay." I glanced at his face while continuing. He looked like he was thinking very hard on something, and I bit my lip, trying to hold back a laugh. I prompted him for a rubber band and wound it around the end of the braid.

I moved around to his other side, and he shivered again when I got started on the braid.

"Are you _sure_ you're not cold?" I asked again, skeptically, but continued to work.

"I just... uh – my ears are a bit sensitive," he mumbled quietly, sounding almost embarrassed.

"Oh." I hadn't even realized I'd touched them. "Sorry."

Jacob shook his head lightly. "Don't worry about it."

Once I was done, I stood back, a hand over my mouth to hide my smile and stop the laugh. He looked up at me suspiciously, then brought his hands to feel what I'd done.

"Oh, geez – pigtails again?" He made a funny noise in the back of his throat.

"Of course, we're missing the color, so when I go to find my dress I'll pick up a pair of cute, matching ribbons for your braids."

At this he paused, looking thoughtful, then he turned to me with a casual grin. "All right. You've got yourself a deal," he had this conspiratorial look on his face, "..._if_ you let me have _one_ dance."

My eyes widened in horror. "No! I'm serious, Jacob, I really _can't_ _dance_."

He shrugged. "Neither can I, but that's never stopped me – humor me, 'kay?" he added when I was going to cut him off, and I slumped my shoulders, sitting down on the edge of my bed. "I'm going to let you put girly things in my hair," he began, "and I don't know many guys who would allow that, even if they'd been schmucks and smeared dirt on a girl's face. So I think I'm entitled to a little request of my own, yeah?"

"I suppose you're right," I agreed glumly.

"Do you really care that much what others think of you?" he asked, curious now.

I shook my head. "No."

"Well – why won't you dance then?"

I grimaced. "I'll trip and either hurt you or hurt myself," I revealed reluctantly. "Then I'll get embarrassed when Charlie shows up in the cruiser to take me to the hospital."

Jacob just stared at me for a moment, then, and when I thought he would laugh at me he smiled instead.

"You're totally overthinking things, Bella. Besides, my feet can handle a little trampling, and I won't let you trip," he paused, and now he laughed, "if you go down I'll make sure you've got something soft to land on." He winked.

"Are you going to carry a cushion with you?" I teased, and he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, and I'll have the rescue team on standby."

My eyes narrowed, and I could see that he, again, knew he had me. How did he _do_ that? Ugh. "Fine!"

He beamed at me. "Sweet," he raised his can, "here's to the most unlikely dancing partners in the history of Forks," he said grandly.

I opened my Coke and raised it to his. "And the casualties left in our path – they shall be honored for their bravery."

We touched cans.

**o~*iii*~o**


	8. Step aside, Jacob Black falling through

_**Disclaimer****: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**_

* * *

**o~*iii*~o  
Step Aside, Jacob Black falling through**

JACOB BLACK

Spring break was usually really quiet for me, but after the visit to Chief Swan's house last Friday I'd known instantly what I needed to do: get more hours at the store. Not only did I need to save for the master cylinder, I also needed cash for a tux, too. My dad had offered me his old number, but when we'd finally found it and pulled it out of its resting place there hadn't been much left of it to call a tux.

So now my break consisted of work, work, work and... oh yeah: more work. But it was worth it – correction: _Bella_ was worth it. I would get to see her again tonight. She'd called me last night to tell me that she was having a few friends over later today, to watch a movie, and if I wanted to join them she'd come pick me up. Did I _ever_ want to! Naturally, I tried to keep a lid on the enthusiasm. I'd noticed that she had this habit of freaking out a bit, making things more complicated than they needed to be.

She was surprising me, though. Okay, so maybe 'surprising' was a bit of an understatement. She'd shocked me when she'd told me I was going to the prom with her. At first I'd been sitting there, wondering what the hell I was doing in her room. She had something to show me – didn't she know that a girl can't just say that to a guy, then sneak them up into their room while their dad's downstairs? I was half expecting the Chief to come barging in with his shotgun and wave it in my face – accuse me of... well, nothing proper, that's for sure.

So yeah – there I was, busting my chops, waiting for my impending doom – _bam. _Next thing I _thought_ I heard was that I was going to the prom with her. 'Dream on, Black,' I'd told myself, and then Quil and Embry were there, in my head, telling me the same thing. Not to mention snorting the soda – man that had hurt.

Digressing again. So Bella's being all frantic about the soda – man, put a guy out of his misery already and answer the question. Sigh. Nope. She had to run out of the room and give her old man even more suspicion. When I'd heard the stomping on the stairs I'd been ready to beg for my life. I was so sure it was Charlie; I'd heard him yelling at her downstairs.

After much awkwardness and dying she'd confirmed it: she wanted me to go with her to her prom. Sure, she'd had some conditions, and I'm perfectly secure enough in my masculinity to prance around in pigtails for one evening; that's nothing. What scares me is seeing her in a dress – how am I supposed to stay all casual when she's putting all these awesomely sweet images in my head? It's _way_ too early to even _think_ about putting a move on her.

Sure, I'd gotten to touch her face, and that had been just too sweet. But man, she'd touched my hair, and my ears. . . .

I sighed. Yep. Jacob Black was definitely getting sucked in, big time. I'd never met anyone with whom everything just clicked. There was a phrase for that: kindred spirits. I could get nervous and all; scared of acting like a complete idiot, but still, she was so easy to talk to. Even easier to talk to than Quil and Embry, whom I've known my whole life.

Something else that I'd come to realize: I was good at making her smile, and when she smiled at me – it was the greatest feeling ever.

"Hey, Black! Wait up!"

I rolled my eyes and stopped. I was on my way home from work, and, naturally, I would run into Quil and Embry. I shoved my hands in my pockets and turned around.

"Hey."

Quil kicked a rock into the ditch. "Dude, you're totally avoiding us lately – where have you been?"

"Working, sleeping, same old, same old..."

"There's a bonfire tonight – Quil's invited some girls," Embry said, elated.

"Cool, I'm not going though. I'm going to see Bella."

Quil made kissing noises and my hand flashed out to smack him, but he'd learned from last time he'd done it, when Bella and Embry had been doing the dishes in my dad's kitchen, so he ducked.

"Weak," Quil drawled.

"Keep it up and I'll show you weak," I threatened.

"Oh yeah?"

Embry sighed. "Geez, guys. C'mon."

Quil shrugged, but shot me a loaded look, taunting me.

"So how come you're working so much? What got busted up this time?" Embry asked.

"I need cash for a tux," I said, keeping the grimace to myself.

They stopped walking, and gave me their blank stares.

"A _tux_?" Embry said it like it was a dirty word.

"Uh, yeah – used for special occasions, like prom. That sort of thing," I clarified.

"Since when did you care about dressing up?" Embry asked suspiciously.

"Prom's like two months away," Quil pointed out.

"Exactly. So I don't have much time to save up for it. I'm still busting my ass trying to get the cash together for that cylinder," I started walking, "and I need the tux 'cause I'm going with Bella."

Both of them scrambled to catch up with me, staring.

"If you're telling me that you're taking Bella to prom, then I'll smack you," Quil said.

I raised an eyebrow, glancing at him. "What for?"

"For telling porkies," Embry cut in. "'Cause it totally would be."

I paused to stare at Embry. "Porkies?"

"Lies," he corrected defensively.

I smirked. "Well, I'm not telling any _porkies_ – not that I care if you believe me or not. Bella asked me, Friday last week, when I was up with dad."

"_She_ asked _you_?" Quil's voice was a mix between disbelief and awe.

Embry looked dazed. "Man – he's telling the truth. If he was showing off he'd be telling us that _he_ asked _her_."

Yeah. Embry, at least, had _some_ smarts. Quil wasn't very perceptive – unless it came to his own reflection and girls' anatomy. I'd noticed how he'd watched Bella that day she came down with her dad, which in turn had made her blush. The guy had no shame.

I completely stopped then, staring ahead at the guy who rounded the corner; what the hell was _he_ doing on my dad's land? Embry and Quil had stopped, too, and I bet all three of us looked like idiots, gawking at Sam Uley as he came toward us.

"Jake, man. Just play it cool – don't go being a hero now." Embry warned me in a whisper.

Sam's eyes hardened, as if he'd heard Embry's words. I ignored Embry though. I wanted to know what this punk was doing snooping around on the Blacks' property.

"Hey, Uley, what were you doing on my dad's land?" I asked evenly.

Quil groaned quietly next to me, whereas Embry had just frozen.

"I had business with him," Sam said, sounding all superior, which caused me to straighten up like a knee-jerk reaction. This guy always had a way of getting on my nerves. It was weird – I didn't get irritated by nature, I was pretty easy going.

"Yeah? And what's that?" I pressed, even if Quil was pleading with me silently.

Sam's jaw twitched. "You'll have to ask your dad about that, it's not my place to say."

"Really? And what if I'm asking _you_?"

"_Jake_," Embry pleaded, and tugged my shirt. I ignored him again.

Then Sam gave me that look again, like he was sizing me up, and it really didn't sit too well with me. Quil and Embry had noticed it now, too.

"I've got nothing more to say to you, Jacob. But I don't want any trouble, so just let it be, okay, kid?"

_Kid_? "Stay off my dad's land then, and I'll be real happy to let it go." I didn't even want to look at him anymore, he gave me the creeps and made my skin crawl. "Let's go," I said to Embry and Quil, and started walking – a bit quicker than I'd intended, but I realized that I was actually feeling a bit scared of him. He'd looked like he was holding back on something, like he wanted to punch my lights out. Man, what did I ever do to him? Why was he always looking at me like that?

I knew instantly when I came home that something was up: dad was talking to himself again.

"Go wait for me in the garage, I'll be there in a minute."

Embry and Quil eagerly escaped and I approached my dad warily, where he sat in front of the TV, even if he wasn't watching it.

"What did Sam Uley want, dad?" I asked carefully.

It's like he hadn't even realized I'd come inside, because he flinched. "Oh, hey, son. How was work?" he asked, trying to sound casual, and I rolled my eyes.

"Great – until I ran into Sam, and he told me that if I wanted answers I should talk to you." I folded my arms. "He said it wasn't his place to say," I added for extra effect.

Dad gave me a strange look then, which wasn't far off the one Sam had given me, only less... intense.

"How are you feeling, Jake?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Uh – I'm fine... Dad? What's going on?"

He started mumbling to himself again, shaking his head. "Well, that's good – you're going up to see Bella tonight. That's good..." he trailed off. More mumbling ensued and I groaned.

"Okay, dad. Thanks for the vote of confidence and all."

I turned and walked out before I got irritated with him. Whatever it was, I didn't want to pressure him too much with the diabetes and all. He was making an effort and was taking care of his treatment. If he wanted to sit and waffle to himself – whatever rocked his socks, I guess.

"You're going to be at Charlie's house, aren't you?" he called after me, which made me pause.

"Yeah," I called back. "Why?"

"Just stay in the house, son," he called out, his voice full of authority.

"Yeah. Don't worry dad – last time I checked, movies are best viewed indoors." I rolled my eyes again and walked out the door, doing a bit of my own muttering under my breath.

Embry and Quil were arguing when I came into the garage, which didn't lighten my mood any. They stopped the moment they saw me, though.

"Hey, don't let me interrupt," I bit out sourly.

"What did Sam want with your dad?" Quil probed.

I shrugged and slumped against the workbench. "Beats me. He's in one of his moods again."

"Did you _see_ how he was looking at you, Jake?" Embry whispered, and I turned to him, surprised at the apparent fear in his voice.

"Geez, Emb, calm down – and yeah, I saw. He was looking right at me."

"Did you tell your dad? I think he needs to know," Embry urged.

I threw my hands up. "I tried to talk to him! He won't say anything, he always dodges me, damn it!"

"Hey, it's all cool, man," Quil soothed, and I shot him an irritated glance.

"It's _not_ cool, Quil. Dad's not exactly skipping around, you know. And that _jerk, _Uley, has got him all wired. If he makes my dad sick I'm going to-" What the hell could _I_ do? I sighed. "Yeah, okay. Cool," I agreed.

"So what are you and Bella going to do then?" Quil asked, attempting to steer me in a different direction. It didn't work; it only reminded me of dad's order to stay at Charlie's place.

"Dad was all 'stay in the house'." I scoffed. "I swear – he thinks the Cullens are going to come and eat me or something. This is a joke. If they really _were_ vampires, what the _hell_ are they doing here? Yeah – because there's _nowhere_ else in the world they'd rather be, right?"

Embry snorted. "If they were, then, where are the wolves? Isn't that the whole deal? If the vamps come here, then the wolves come to keep the peace – haven't seen any, have you?" He glanced around with a shifty gleam in his eyes.

"I saw one," Quil said with a thick edge to his voice, "and he was like," he let out a howl, then all three of us busted out laughing.

This was what was good about Quil and Embry: no matter what we talked about, sooner or later one of them would get stupid and make us all laugh. That would be it, and we'd forget about whatever we'd talked about. I was happy about it, because I didn't want to be all doom and gloom when Bella showed up.

We didn't get to hang out much before I had to get inside and cook something for dad. They needed to get home, too, and get ready for the bonfire.

Dad was still bent out of shape when I came back inside, at least he wasn't talking to himself anymore. Usually I could handle the moodiness, but the rants made me uneasy.

I was just about to pull some chicken out of the fridge when dad came wheeling into the kitchen.

"Don't worry about the food, Jacob. I'm having dinner at the Clearwaters."

"Oh. Okay – I'm hitting the shower, then."

I was just leaving the kitchen when the door opened and Harry came inside.

"Hello, Jacob," he greeted me warmly.

"Hey, Mr. C."

He gave me an odd, sad kind of smile, then turned to my dad. "Ready to go?"

Dad nodded, and started wheeling himself toward the door, then he hesitated and threw me a worried glance.

"Now, remember what I told you, son. You hear?"

"Dad," I protested, "c'mon – it's _Forks._ Just chill." I rolled my eyes and disappeared down the hallway to jump in the shower. He was looking at me as if he half expected the boogeyman to come and drag me under my bed and never give me back.

I heard the roar of Bella's truck just as I'd pulled my jeans on, and I hurried to slip the shirt over my head. She was early. This was a good thing, and it meant a lot to me, naturally.

She was hesitating outside the door, which made me shake my head.

"Dad's not here, if you're worried about him embarrassing you," I told her reassuringly and pushed the screen door open while I stepped back.

"Oh." She was biting her lip again, and I grinned. "I know I'm early," she continued, "but I thought we could go to the shop and buy snacks together. That way you can pick out something you like, too."

"Cool. C'mon in, I've got to hunt down some socks."

Bella drifted over to a chair and sat down. "How's your dad doing?" she called after me as I went on my sock-search.

"He's good – taking care of himself, humiliating me, the usual."

Bella laughed. "Our dads are good at that," she mused.

I rolled my eyes. "At least your dad doesn't believe in monsters."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that – there's an abundance of scumbags to give parking tickets to. Forks is climbing the crime-charts," she told me ominously.

I laughed. "Yeah, and don't forget the jaywalkers," I pointed out in a grave voice.

"With me in town they'll be eradicated before they become a problem." The way she said it gave me the impression she actually believed it.

"So you won't mind if I keep my head down, you know... I don't want to be seen with a criminal." I winked, and she blushed. Oh man.

Bella sniffed. "You can ride in the back," she offered, "you could say I kidnapped you, then."

"Ha. Sure, sure – they're not going to believe that."

I'd found a pair of socks and tugged them on. I saw her studying me like she'd done last Friday, then she got up and came over to me.

"I know what's different about you now," she said and I straightened up.

She tilted her head and looked up at me. "Yeah?" I asked, curious.

"You know, for being two years younger than me you sure don't look it – you're taller. Bigger than when I saw you on First Beach." She made it sound like I had committed a crime, which made me laugh.

"Age is just a number," I told her, and she snorted. "'Sides, I'm not _that_ tall."

Her brows pulled together. "You're taller than some of the boys in my class," she accused.

I grinned. "Feeling inferior, shorty?" I teased.

She huffed. "I'm not that short! I'm five four!" she announced defensively.

"Five eleven," I stated back, and smiled hugely at her glum expression.

"Well, since you found your socks we can get going – come on, Bigfoot," she said and went for the door.

I was still laughing at her when we got into her truck, then she revved the engine, and I held my hands up. She looked like she wanted to poke her tongue out at me, and I waited for it to happen, so I could tease her about it. Unfortunately her restraint was too good.

"So how are your friends – Quil and Embry, was it?"

"They're good – there's a bonfire tonight and I think they're a bit unhappy that I couldn't make it."

"Oh – did you want to go?" she asked, and I thought she sounded a bit sad as she said it.

I shrugged. "We have them all the time. Next time you can come along," I suggested.

She smiled. "Sounds like fun, and it would be nice to meet your friends again, they're nice – well, Quil's a bit strange."

I laughed. "That's Quil," then I grimaced, "I think he's got a thing for you."

Bella made a face. "He's a bit young for me," she stated matter of factly, and I glanced at her.

"He's not _that_ much younger than you," I said defensively. "Only a year and a few months."

She bit her lip. "True. But girls, in general, are more mature than boys. So we'd really need to count it in dog years then, which makes me about – 12 years older?"

I laughed. "All right, if you want to get complicated, you've got to consider that dogs mature _fast_ in the first couple of years, then it slows down. So really, you'd be looking at way above middle aged – a geriatric just about, which would put Quil pretty close. At _that_ age a few years back and forth doesn't count anymore."

"Are you trying to set me up with your friend?" she asked, clearly worried.

"No. I'm just calling you on your weak try to wriggle your way out of the age thing. Counting it in dog years won't help you – but if you want to try, we need to take other things into consideration. Height, for one," I suggested, "and since you're such a shorty I'm going to have to knock a few years off your total."

I could see that she wanted to smack me, but I was having way too much fun to stop. She had started it, so I was just playing along.

"I do all the cooking and cleaning at home," she said instead, "do I get some years back for that?" Bella glanced at me, then she grinned.

"Sure, sure. But so do I, since I'm taking care of my old man. _And_ I build cars – do you even know how to change a tire?"

"No," she admitted unhappily.

I shook my head. "Ai ai, well, I'm sorry to say, but... this little game of yours isn't really working in your favor. At this rate I'm definitely coming out the winner."

Bella rolled her eyes, but she started smiling, and I knew I was gaining more than a few 'dog years' in _my_ favor.

The banter about age continued the whole way to Forks and while we walked through the grocery store. I admit, I worked hard to weigh things in my favor, and gained a few years for my displayed maturity for agreeing to those pigtails and ribbons she wanted to put in my hair. By the time we rolled into the driveway at Charlie's house we had agreed on both of us being geriatrics.

"Here, let me get that for you, old lady," I teased and took the grocery bag from Bella.

"Can you make it to the house without a cane, old man?"

I hobbled forward a few steps. "I'm sure I'll manage."

I didn't count on my big feet, though, so when I stumbled it wasn't fake. Bella grabbed my shirt to steady me, and I don't know how her feet ended up in front of mine, but we both took a dive.

"Whoa!"

"Holy crow!"

We looked at our tangled legs where we sat on the damp grass, then busted out laughing.

"See!" she exclaimed through a string of chortles. "Are you sure you want to tempt fate by dancing at prom?" She sounded like she was happy about having proved her misfortune.

"This was my fault," I pointed out, "well, my big feet's fault," I corrected.

Bella continued laughing, while disentangling her legs to stand up. She brushed at her jeans then held her hand out. "Come on, before a meteor drops out of the sky."

I took it, and laughed hard when she struggled to pull me up. "You're going to pop a vein," I managed, with effort, between laughs.

She puffed. "Wow, Jacob. You're heavy!"

When I stood up she snorted a laugh through her nose that made it difficult to breathe, but she pointed to my ass, gasping for air. Nice. Wet _and_ muddy.

"I'll get you some sweats from Charlie's closet," she offered and grabbed the shopping bag before walking up the steps.

I got inside and peeled my shoes off, then went to the kitchen to unpack the groceries while she hunted down a pair of pants for me. When she came back downstairs she told me she'd wash my jeans and throw them in the drier, so that they would be dry before I had to go home.

"So what movie are we watching?" I asked when we stood mixing the dip.

"DodgeBall," she answered, smirking. "Mike's choice. It was between that and Fifty First Dates, but the guys weren't too happy with that one."

"Ah, with the dude from Meet the Fockers, right?"

"Yeah – that's a funny movie. Poor guy."

"That's taking the humiliation-factor to a whole new level – man, and we think we've got it bad."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "Well, Charlie's got 'the look'. He glances at his shotgun," she told me meaningfully.

"You've got a point there," I agreed, then wondered what he would think when he walked in the door and saw me in his sweatpants. "Where is he anyway?" I asked casually.

"He _was_ fishing with Harry earlier. I'm pretty sure he's having dinner with the Clearwaters now. They're watching a game after that, so he said he'd be late."

I felt relieved. Hopefully my jeans would be dry by then.

The doorbell rang, and Bella went to open it. I was a little bit nervous about meeting her friends. They were a bit older than me, and therefore not the crowd I'd typically hang out with, but I _was_ from the reservation, after all, and I rarely came up to Forks. If they were friends of hers they had to be cool, though, I thought.

Bella had been right about Angela, she was a nice girl, and not too bad to look at either. Of course, she had nothing on Bella. Jessica was a typical chick; she kept conversation flowing, even when it didn't want to. Ben was a quiet guy, reminding me a bit of Embry. Then there was Mike. I recognized him from the beach, and he was giving me the same looks he did then, like he was convincing himself I wasn't competition. It was pretty obvious he had a huge thing for Bella, not that I worried about it, though. She totally ignored his looks.

Thought Charlie's living room was bigger than ours, there still weren't enough seats. Ben and I opted for the floor, while Bella took Charlie's recliner and the others shared the sofa. I positioned myself in front of Bella's spot – I had to push my luck – naturally. Maybe also to taunt Mike a little. The guy had to know that I _was_ competition.

When Bella sat down she didn't even comment on me being there, which put a scowl on Mike's face. Oh yeah – points to me. I played it cool, though.

The movie was pretty hilarious, made even more so by the girls' comments. The dude in spandex was a complete douche, but so funny. The scene where he inflated his jocks with air, to try and impress the girl, nearly made me snort my soda again. I was disappointed that she didn't vomit, even though it looked like she was about to. Bella was laughing at it.

"I would have been mortified," she breathed.

"She should have stabbed him with her pen and deflated it," Jessica said with a snort. Ouch. I think all three of us guys flinched.

We were about half way through the movie when, out of the blue, Bella started touching my hair; I thought my heart would kick into overdrive, and I kept very still, afraid she would stop if I moved. This was different, like she wasn't even realizing what she was doing. It felt good, really good. I was getting too relaxed and encouraged by this small but, at the same time, majorly significant gesture. I smiled inwardly at the thought that she was getting more comfortable in my company. _And_ she liked my hair.

And, if she liked my hair, she could like more of me, too. I couldn't believe my luck. Quil and Embry were in my head, though, telling me to not get too confident. It was a challenge, but in the end I couldn't help pushing my luck a bit more, so I scooted down slightly and rested my head against Bella's folded legs. She didn't even squirm, and continued to touch my hair. That was it – any more and I'd ruin it – so I stayed like that until the credits started rolling. I nearly drifted off, that's how relaxed I was, until someone had to get up and turn the lights on, totally breaking the spell.

Jessica was the first to announce that she had to get home because she had work in the morning, which meant that Mike also left. He looked all depressed, and I tried really hard not to show off. But I sat up, and casually threw an arm across Bella's knees – she _still_ didn't push me away.

"It was nice to meet you, Jacob," Jessica told me, "we'll see you at prom!" Oh man. I wanted to high-five her so badly: Mike was absolutely fuming!

I gave her a bright smile. "Sure. It was nice to meet you, too," I said cheerfully.

Mike mumbled his 'byes', giving me a stiff nod, and I nodded back.

"See you at work, Mike – bye, Jess!" Bella called after them, then she turned to me and rolled her eyes. "That was mean, Jake," she told me, and it didn't escape me that she'd called me 'Jake' instead of the usual 'Jacob'. I felt an unfamiliar, but very nice, warmth in my chest.

"Aw, c'mon, Bella, the guy's got it bad – I had to."

Her eyes narrowed. "Maybe we should add some makeup into the deal," she threatened, and I stared at her. "Just a little eyeliner," – she touched the outer corner of my eye very lightly – "to make your eyes extra pretty."

I don't know what I looked like, and I felt a strange mix between awe and horror; she had scared the hell out of me, but she had also touched my face. She covered her mouth, choking back a laugh.

"I'm sorry," she blurted quickly, and added, "I was just kidding!"

"I'm the mean one, huh?"

She chewed her lip, her eyes guilty. "No. I think I just outdid you," she said earnestly. "And really, I don't own any makeup, so you can be sure that it would never happen."

Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it. "You don't need that stuff," I said anyway, and watched her cheeks fill with color. Man, she was so pretty.

"Uh, Bella," Ben said carefully, "Angela asked me to get you... she's in the kitchen and doesn't know where the chips go."

We turned to look at him. I hadn't noticed that they had left the living room, and I moved back to let Bella get up.

"I'll get it," she said, glancing at me before she left the room.

"Sorry to barge in on you like that," Ben apologized, and he looked a bit awkward.

"Nah, that's cool, don't worry about it."

He relaxed and sat down on the sofa. "I'm glad Bella went in there – Angela and I have only been dating for a couple of weeks, and, man, it's freaking me out a little bit 'cause I actually like this girl."

"Girls are good at making a guy freak out," I said with a shrug.

Ben let out a laugh. "Yeah, tell me about it. That's the thing though, I have no idea with Angela, she's a really nice girl, and shy. How do you tell?"

Okay. This guy obviously didn't realize how old I was. I wasn't sure what he was asking me for. How do you tell... what? My talks with Embry and Quil weren't going to help here – I was totally out of my depth.

"Go with what your gut tells you," I said, since it could apply to just about anything. "If she's shy, don't push her," I added.

"You're right. I'm all for taking it slow."

Phew – so far, so good. But oh man, I hoped he wasn't going to talk about intimate things. I would look like an idiot if he did, because I just didn't know how to talk about it. I didn't _want_ to talk about that stuff – least of all in Charlie's house.

"Ben." Angela's voice drifted from the hallway. "I'm ready to go."

Ben jumped up. "Duty calls." He grinned. "Nice talking to you, man. Take it easy."

"You too." I got up and followed. 'Nice save, Angela,' I thought.

Bella was standing with Angela just inside the door.

"Hi, Jacob. It was so nice to meet you. I hope Ben didn't talk your ears off." She gave me a gentle smile.

"Nah, he's cool," I said and winked. "Nice to meet you, too."

"I'll talk to you later," Angela said to Bella, and they exchanged a loaded look. O-kay. . . .

Ben and Angela disappeared through the door, and Bella closed it behind them before turning to me. I'd tensed up, but the moment she smiled at me I relaxed.

"You've got pretty cool friends. Ben's definitely got a thing for Angela."

"Yeah, and she likes Ben... a lot." Bella gave my shirt a tug when she walked past me. "I'm going to relax a few minutes, then I'll take you home."

I felt really nervous all of sudden, and I tried to squash it, but it didn't really want to go away. It definitely had something to do with being alone with her.

Bella slumped back on the sofa and I hesitated half a second before joining her. "I've been thinking," she began, then paused before she turned to look at me.

I rolled my eyes. "You're doing that thing again," I accused.

Her expression turned confused. "What?"

"You start saying something, then you go all quiet..."

"Oh." She grinned. "Sorry – well, I've been thinking, _and_ I've decided to let you off the hook." She looked at me expectantly, like I was supposed to know what she was talking about.

"Uh... you're going to have to be a bit clearer. I'm just a guy..."

She nodded. "Yeah. You're a guy... and, um – well, guys shouldn't have pigtails. It looked really cute on you eleven years ago, but," – Bella's eyes narrowed and she reached up to touch my hair – "your hair is too nice to ruin with braids. So you should just wear it however you want to," she finished, grinning.

"You really have a thing for my hair, don't you?" I teased.

Her eyes focused on where she was still playing with my hair. "It's nice... and soft," she said defensively.

"So all this was just an excuse to get to touch my hair, then?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. You got me."

I laughed. "Do I even dare ask what else you're planning on tricking me into?"

She smacked my shoulder and huffed. "I'm not tricking you into anything – besides, who are you to talk? Mister 'leave a smudge on my face to get an excuse to touch it'." She folded her arms.

"Hey, I had no idea!"

"Sure you didn't."

I raised an eyebrow. "I didn't – and I didn't really touch your face, technically. I _held_ your chin and the _towel_ touched your face."

This time she scoffed and let out a laugh. "The chin _is_ a part of the face."

"You're pretty sure you're right, aren't you? You honestly think I put dirt on your face to get an excuse to touch it?"

Bella nodded confidently.

"If I thought I could get away with it I wouldn't make up excuses," I told her, one hundred percent honest. Her eyes narrowed while she thought about what I'd just told her, and I shook my head, sighing.

There was this thing with me and challenges, like Quil had said: if the odds were against me I had to fight them. This was one of those things, and, naturally, I had to prove her wrong. So I reached up and stroked her cheek carefully with my thumb – so... soft. I dropped my hand. Bella stared at me with widened eyes.

"Uh – sorry," I said stupidly. "Just proving a point," I added quickly and shrugged.

"Um, I should probably take you home before, uh, it gets too late." She got up and went for the hallway, and when I was sure she was out of the room I smacked myself. Smooth. Real smooth. Why did I have to do that? Oh yeah, because I'm an idiot. I got up to walk out of the room to find her, only to collide with the coffee table.

"Ow!"

Bella appeared with my jeans. "What happened?"

"Your furniture is out to get me," I explained quietly, chancing a peek at her face. At least she didn't look mad; if anything she looked the exact opposite... something in her eyes was different. They were kind of soft, and it did weird things to my heart. What did I miss?

"How rude of them," she held my jeans out toward me, one corner of her mouth lifting, "better get changed so we can go, before the kitchen appliances join forces to conspire against you." She winked.

I grabbed my jeans and smirked. "Definitely don't want that."

"I'll get the beast running," she said, then added, "make sure the door is locked on your way out."

The moment she disappeared, I changed into my jeans and folded the sweatpants. I didn't know where to put them, so I popped into the laundry room and put them on top of the hamper before leaving.

I was so sure I had messed up and been too forward, but while I watched her on the way down to La Push, she had this smile on her face. Not the kind of smile that was obvious, but it made her whole face look... very, very pretty. Nah. This girl wasn't just pretty. She was beautiful. Just as I thought it, I felt kind of warm all over. Oh man, I was so gawking at her. Look out the window, look out the window, look – I turned quickly when she glanced at me.

"I've got work tomorrow, but Friday's a short day – I can come down if you want to hang out," she said while I stared out the window.

"Sure, sure. I've got to do a few of hours at the store, but I'll be home around lunch." I sounded like my voice was going through changes again – this was humiliating.

"How about I bring the stuff to make pizza that Billy can eat lots of, too?"

I smiled. "If you keep it up he's going to want to swap kids, and I'm not sure I'd like Forks all that much," I said jokingly.

She smirked. "I wouldn't mind. La Push is nicer than Forks – you have a beach."

"Just not the sunshine to go with it," I reminded her.

"Maybe not the same kind," she offered thoughtfully.

I raised an eyebrow. "There are different kinds of sunshine?"

"Well, yes..."

"... like?"

"The sun here is different: it's softer, and it doesn't burn. I always had to wear maximum sunblock in Phoenix, and sometimes I'd _still_ burn." She grimaced then winced. "Once I burned so bad I couldn't move, and my mom had to feed me."

I only just managed to stop myself from laughing. I guess I looked amused though, because she half glared at me.

"Sorry," I said sincerely.

"We can't all have pretty skin," she shot back defensively.

"What's wrong with yours?"

She released the steering wheel; one hand reached out to wave in front of my eyes. "Are you blind?"

I smirked. "I see a hand." I grabbed it before she poked my eyes out and looked at it, glancing at her to make sure I wasn't making her uncomfortable.

"That's not what I meant," she mumbled and rolled her eyes.

I chuckled. "I know – but, seriously," I held her hand up for examination; in comparison to my own darker skin it was obviously very pale, "I can't see anything wrong with your skin," I told her honestly.

This seemed to satisfy her, and she nodded. "Yeah. You're blind," she concluded.

"It's dark here, but I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about."

She sniffed. "Well, if you're done with your diagnosis, can I have my hand back?"

"Nope."

She shrugged. "Oh well, there goes your house, though," she said and when I looked out the window I realized the truck had slowed down as it crawled past my driveway.

"Uh...oops." I released her hand and grinned.

She snorted, and the truck came to a full stop before she threw it into reverse. I could only shrug when she rolled her eyes while we backed up.

"Yeah, oops. I suppose I could have asked you to change the gear, but it was way too much fun to see that look on your face. What would you call it... epic?"

I laughed. "I s'pose," I offered, grinning widely.

We were outside my house now, and she left the engine to idle. "Thanks for coming up, you should get Billy to come up more often, too. I think Charlie would like that." She winked at me.

"Uh huh. I'm pretty sure Billy would like that, too."

"So I guess I'll see you around then?" she asked, grinning.

"Sure, sure. Or I'll see you around." I winked back at her before pushing the door open.

"Cool," she said, then made a face, "okay – that didn't sound right."

"It was a good try," I assured her and got out, "how about... night?"

She nodded and smiled. "Yeah. Night, Jake."

That smile definitely did strange things to my heart, and I smiled back. "Night, Bells." I closed the door and shoved a hand into my pocket while giving her a wave with the other.

After she'd driven off I stood there for a good minute or two, trying to make some sense of this feeling I kept getting. It was a little bit unfamiliar, maybe a little bit scary, but a huge bit good. I think it was pretty safe to say that I was falling in love with her, and I was falling hard. I missed her already.

I sighed and walked inside. Friday wouldn't come soon enough.

**o~*iii*~o**


	9. Ignorance Is Bliss

_**Disclaimer****: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**_

* * *

**o~*iii*~o**

**Ignorance Is Bliss**

Living under this constant cover of clouds and rain had, a few months ago, seemed like the very bane of my existence. Going through day to day, feeling more like the newest attraction at the zoo rather than a simple and all but invisible girl, had subdued and annoyed me.

There hadn't been any redeeming qualities to find in the sleepy town of Forks, and I had spent more time missing Phoenix than accepting my new home. How quickly it had changed, though. Instead of detesting Forks I was now, to my utter shock, not only tolerating the place, but actually beginning to like it.

It suited me, and while I sometimes worried about the potential danger I was putting everyone in by living here – I was still a walking disaster, after all – it seemed like my disagreement with the laws of physics could be managed. There was hardly any traffic, which meant I could maneuver my beast of a truck through the small streets of Forks without freaking out about casualties. Another reason why I loved my truck: it was like a warning beacon, and due to its massive bulk people just automatically scattered when I came driving – it possibly had something to do with the roaring of the engine, too.

The lack of criminal activity lowered the bar immensely, and I knew I wouldn't be running into any axe-murderers, which could have happened in as large a city of Phoenix, had I just tempted fate a little. If there was danger within a ten mile radius, I would always find it. Thus, the small town of Forks – La Push, also, since it was a very small place – kind of eliminated the whole scenario. It didn't discourage Charlie, though, and even if the worst thing to happen here was an old lady jaywalking or a dizzy mother parking her car in one of the two handicap parking spots we had, he worked as hard as the police in Phoenix.

In Phoenix I had gone to the same stores for years, and at most the manager might have recognized me and Renée when we came walking through our favorite clothing shop. Here everyone knew me. The librarians, especially the one whom I had startled during my first visit; the thin, wiry man with only a tuft of hair on his shiny head at the pharmacy – I still went through band-aids like they were going out of fashion; the short, and not so much older than me, single mom with two small kids who would always serve me my favorite milkshake at the diner – she always had a new story to tell about her two little boys. Then, last but not least, all the nurses at Forks Hospital knew me – no shock there.

Just as long as I gravitated the disasters my own way I could accept that exiling myself to Forks could very possibly have been one of the best things to date.

There was just one thing that still irked me, one culprit in this new found haven of mine that some days made me want to jump on the first plane back to Phoenix:

Edward Cullen.

A few weeks ago I'd had every intention of requesting that I get assigned a new partner for Biology but at the very latest moment I had changed my mind. Not only did I feel it would have been incredibly selfish on my part to subject someone else to his mood swings, I had also felt guilty.

The Cullens were obviously very different. Not only did they look like they had some sort of nutritional deficiency – perhaps they should try and eat the food they put on their trays every day – they were also outsiders. While I knew that their adoptive dad worked at the hospital I had never, ever once seen their mom. I had heard that she took the housewife-thing to a whole new level, and she never came out in public. It was odd, I thought, but also it fed my theory that the Cullen kids had some type of medical condition.

Mrs. Cullen had never been seen in the grocery store, which I concluded was because they needed special food. What other reason could there possibly be? Unless she was a snob and the stores in Forks weren't good enough for her – this was Lauren's theory. Takes one to know one, I thought.

Despite the few conversations I'd had with Jessica and Angela about the Cullens, there was one thing that didn't add up: every single time we had great weather in Forks, the Cullens would be away from school. Apparently they were outdoorsy types and went camping, since sunlight and all was quite the rarity here. If that were the case, why did they move here to begin with? But even more puzzling was the fact that they never looked like they benefited from all that sunlight – they were still as pale as before.

Maybe they had some kind of skin disease? Perhaps the good doctor, who also looked to have similar complexion, suffered the same condition, and felt that he wanted to take care of kids with the same disease? He was a _doctor_, after all, and he had seemed so nice the two times I had seen him – I had visited the ER only three weeks ago with a sprained ankle from tripping in Gym. Ugh.

All in all, I felt bad for Edward, and it probably wasn't his fault he was such an oddball. It didn't stop me from getting horribly irritated with him, nor did my skin get any thicker. Just when I thought that I had taken enough to just shut him out he managed to get beneath my skin. It was so infuriating! It had only taken Tyler several weeks of repeated no's to questions about prom before I was able to finally shrug him off.

Edward, on the other hand, could be downright rude and on the verge of cruel, yet I hadn't been able to ignore him. It's not like he was stalking me like Tyler had, and it was very rarely that I talked to him outside of Biology. Still I couldn't ignore him, and to my incredulous amazement he insisted on talking to me, on being polite and friendly, only to turn into a stiff... statue of indifference.

After much deliberation, I had decided, around the same time I'd concluded that I would stay his partner in Biology, that I would make an effort to be friendly. Renée had told me once that the best way to disarm bad manners were to infuse good ones. To do so, I had to set a good example, and being different was something I had personal experience with.

Just like Jacob disregarded my apparent plainness and liked to hang out with me anyway and suffer my horrible sense of humor, I would do the same for Edward. If Jacob had managed to make me open up and relax and just be myself, then perhaps I could get Edward to relax his posture.

Time, again, had moved by rather quickly, and there were now only two weeks left until prom. I was getting nervous, and not only because I had promised Jacob one dance, but also because I had yet to find a dress. I was a jeans and tee kind of girl; at the very most I would exchange the tee for a button up blouse, so it wasn't so strange that the shopping trip to Port Angeles this coming Friday had me nearly hyperventilating. Angela and I were quickly becoming very good friends, and Charlie was getting used to coming home to find us sprawled out on the living room floor, doing homework.

Angela was a bit of a bookworm, just like me, so we had plenty of things to talk about. As it turned out, she had also read the old classics one too many times, and the way we now picked them apart made me wonder why I'd liked them so much to begin with.

That wasn't all we debated, though. Lately we had gotten stuck into talking about boys. This was a very strange thing for me. It's not that I hadn't noticed them, or wondered what it might be like to have a boyfriend; I just hadn't been interested enough. I hadn't met someone that I had seen in that way. I didn't crush on boys like other girls did. Angela was trying to convince me that I liked Jacob, though. I tried to tell her differently, but she would just smile and shake her head.

We were walking toward the parking lot after Gym on Monday, when she decided to discretely bring up the subject again.

"Are you going to see Jacob now?"

We stopped by my truck while I fished for my keys. "Yes. I haven't seen him in a week and a half. Today is the only free day I have until Friday, but we're going to Port Angeles then, right?" I asked distractedly then stuck the key in the door.

"Yeah. Jessica said she would drive."

"I can't believe I am actually doing this," I said, and turned to Angela who was smiling at me, shaking her head.

I sighed. "Ang, don't start," I begged.

"You miss him, it's obvious," she said softly.

"He's my friend," I reminded her.

"If you say so." Angela grinned then shrugged. "Well, I have work, so I better go or I'll be late."

"Yes. I _do_ say so. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Have fun in La Push," she said and winked, before turning to walk to her own car.

Of course I missed Jacob. He was the only one here with whom I could be completely myself, and we had a lot of fun together; he made me laugh. Why did there need to be an ulterior motive? Couldn't I just miss my friend? Ugh.

On the way down to La Push, I turned it all over and over in my head. While I knew that Jacob and I were just friends, I wasn't entirely blind. It had become obvious lately, that something about Jacob had changed. The way I would catch him watching me sometimes. How sometimes it seemed like he wanted to say something, but in the end didn't. Over the past month and a half I had picked up on all these tiny things that he did or said that gave me the impression he was holding back on something.

Most of the time he was just Jacob, and we would hang out at his place or he would come up with Billy when he came to see Charlie. There weren't only behavioral changes I'd noticed, but physical ones, as well. He was getting taller still, but not only that, it was his face: it was losing some of that boyish roundness. It wasn't much, but it was enough for me to notice. I was telling myself that I paid attention to these things because it was so obvious, and Angela had confirmed it, which relaxed me. She had been visiting me two weeks ago when Billy showed up to watch a game with Charlie, and Jacob had tagged along, as usual. Afterward she had commented that he looked bigger than last time she saw him, and not as boyish.

When I pulled into the driveway I knew Jacob would come outside, due to my truck announcing my arrival, and the moment the door opened I felt a smile tugging at my lips. His own responding smile stretched across his face, and he shoved his hands in his pockets and shook his head, like he so often did these days. I don't know what it meant, but it always made me laugh.

"Jacob!" I called out happily and jumped out of the truck, shoving the door closed behind me.

"Hey, Bells." He tucked his hair, which was out again, behind his ears and pulled the door open when I came up the ramp.

There were muted voices coming from the TV and spread across the coffee table were a couple of textbooks and some papers.

"Doing homework?"

"Yep – well, I was. I'm finished," he said and shoved them to the side before sitting down on the sofa.

"Where's your dad?" I asked and slumped down next to Jacob.

"He had an appointment at the hospital. It's just a checkup and Sue gave him a ride."

I glanced at him. He'd leaned back, his eyes closed, and I thought he looked a bit tired. "I could come back some other time – you look tired," I offered, and his eyes popped open.

"No, no. It's cool. Didn't sleep much last night is all, dad was on the phone late, arguing with someone..."

"He's still looking after himself, isn't he?"

Jacob shrugged. "As far as I know. I don't know what's up with him. It's not like he tells me anything." He sighed.

This wasn't the usual sunny Jacob I was used to, and I wondered if there was anything I could do. But I didn't get a chance to open my mouth before he started talking.

"Enough about that – what have you been up to?" My eyes narrowed and he rolled his eyes, then reached out to rub the area between my brows. "Relax," was all he said.

I huffed. "Nothing exciting. School, work, homework, taking care of Charlie. You know. The usual stuff."

He dropped his hand. "Yeah. Same – can't wait til school's out."

Summer break. I had talked to Renée about going to see her for a couple of weeks, but nothing had been decided yet since they didn't know what was happening with Phil's contract. They were still waiting for answers, but if that fell through they would go back to Phoenix.

"I might be going to see mom, but we'll see. If they stay in Jacksonville then mom needs to find a house before I can go there. If not, they'll go back to Phoenix."

"Aw. You going to leave me all alone here?" he said jokingly.

I stroked my chin, looking up into the ceiling. "Um, that's a tough one," I said thoughtfully.

He snorted. "Sure it is. Of course you can't leave me." He winked. "You'd be bored to death without me picking on you all the time," he pointed out matter of factly.

"True. How would I ever survive?" I winked back at him.

He smiled brightly. "As I thought."

"I'd only be gone for a couple of weeks," I said after a moment's silence. "You wouldn't even get a chance to miss me."

"Maybe, maybe not," he mused, smiling wryly.

Something told me that he _would_ miss me, just in a different way than I would miss him. A week and a half was bad enough, even if we talked on the phone. Though, it wasn't the same as being around him and seeing his sunny smile.

Every single time I came down here to visit, time moved all too quickly, and too soon I had to leave again. I was lucky that Charlie let me go down here on school nights, so the least I could do was to be sure I made curfew, and not give him a reason to start doubting me. Jacob, as usual, walked me out to the truck and he stood there until I disappeared around the corner. It left me with a very warm and pleasant feeling, and I smiled all the way home while I sang along to the radio – horribly off key, of course.

Jacob had invited me to a bonfire on Saturday evening, and I'd told him that I would be down.

The week dragged. At least the heavy studying was over for now since we'd had our SATs the month before. Between school and work I was beginning to feel even more jittery about the prom the following week. To top it all off, there had been a report down at the station, and apparently someone had gone missing close to Forks. It was within Charlie's jurisdiction so it had him freaking out about me going down to La Push on Saturday evening. I had called Jacob to get him to tell Billy to reassure Charlie that there would be plenty of adults at the bonfire. In the end, Billy had been very convincing, and my dad had been appeased.

Finally Friday came along, and after school, Jessica and Angela followed me home in Jessica's car. Charlie hadn't let us leave until all three of us promised not to stop by the side of the road, which we had readily agreed to.

Jessica was a bit of a lead-foot, and I winced when I looked at the speedometer. It was no surprise that she was driving so fast though, as everything Jessica did was done quickly, and she spent the drive pumping me and Angela for information about our respective dates. I, of course, tried to brush it off as well as I could. If I had to pick between Angela and Jessica to discuss boys, I would go with Angela. Jessica could be a bit crass when she wanted to, and some of the comments she made about boys and their looks were downright embarrassing. Not that she was vulgar, but I was new to the whole thing, so when she dropped a comment about Mike's butt I tried desperately to feign ignorance. I did _not_ want to think about his butt, let alone join her conversation about it!

Port Angeles was a very charming town, and while much larger than Forks, it still retained that 'small town feel'. Jessica and Angela, obviously having visited the town many times before, whipped through it indifferently, heading straight for the only department store it had. I tagged along reluctantly, wanting to check the town out before diving into the suffocating air in the shops.

When we finally found the right section and the racks with the dresses, we realized quickly that we should have come up earlier; it was pretty picked out. Jessica didn't dwell on it too long, and before long both she and Angela had a couple of numbers picked out and we headed for the dressing rooms. I tried to provide as honest an opinion as I could, and while I watched them come out to show me their selections, I felt myself cringing further and further into the low cushioned seat I was on.

"You should totally go for something that hugs your waist, but flares below, you need to accentuate the curves," Jessica babbled.

"A wine color would look really nice with your skin – it's so smooth," Angela complimented and I raised an eyebrow.

"Um, right." My skin was pale and boring. What was with everyone? Were they blind?

"Yes!" Jessica gushed, ignoring my disinterest, "A halter neck – it would be so you!" Then she was off, her latest dress still on her. Angela and I exchanged a look, then shrugged.

"You're in trouble now," she said quietly and laughed.

I sighed. "I wish I could wear jeans, I'm going to humiliate myself!"

Before long Jessica returned with a rich burgundy colored dress with a halter neck just like she had said.

"I saw it when I was looking, and when Angela mentioned the wine color I was like... Oh. My. Gosh." Jessica thrust the dress at me and I hid my grimace.

"Thanks, Jess."

"Go try it on!" she all but squealed.

With a, no doubt, glum expression on my face, I disappeared into one of the booths and started peeling my jeans off, then my shirt. I tried to not look at myself in the mirror while struggling with the dress. After much huffing and puffing I had finally figured it out and I stood back to scrutinize my reflection.

The color _was_ very nice, but it made me look even paler, I thought. The cut was definitely flattering, hugging my waist while the skirt flared subtly, reaching the floor. I would need a pair of shoes with a small heel. All in all it was an okay dress; it was simple, which is what convinced me in the end. Jessica and Angela were waiting outside for me and the moment I came out they gasped.

"Perfect!" Jessica exclaimed in a high pitch tone.

"You look really pretty, Bella," Angela said in quiet awe.

I was mortified, blushing at their praise. This was not at all what I was used to. "Um, thanks," I mumbled.

"Jacob isn't going to know what to do with himself!" Jessica continued without restraint, and it made my face burn.

"_Please_," I begged, "That's my _friend_ you're talking about."

Angela shook her head and smiled, as usual. "Jessica is right," she told me carefully. "The two of you are going to look quite striking," she mused.

I cringed. "Can we not go there again?"

Jessica let out a frustrated sigh. "You are so blind, Bella – Jacob is like, unbelievably good looking, and if he could have purred, he totally would have when you were playing with his hair that time when we were watching DodgeBall – seriously, what does it feel like? It's so shiny it makes me jealous!"

I stared at her. "What does that mean?"

"Which part?"

"The... the... _purring_?" I whispered.

Jessica smirked. "Well," she drawled suggestively.

"Never mind!" I cut in, horrified at what things might come out of her mouth. "I don't want to know." I shuddered and Angela bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.

"I don't think I want to know either," she whispered to me while Jessica rolled her eyes.

"If you tell me what his hair feels like I'll let it go," Jessica bargained with a mischievous grin.

"Ugh." Why hadn't I just made up another excuse to get out of prom?

"Your choice – I bet he would have liked-"

"Okay!" I gasped, then paused to find words."It's soft, like um, silk, okay? You happy now?" I was all but stuttering and Jessica was enjoying my humiliation.

"Have you kissed him?" she hurried on to ask.

My eyes widened. "No!"

"But you want to, right? I can totally tell," she pressed.

I shook my head violently. "Can we leave now?" I looked at Angela who gave me a sympathetic look.

"Come on, Jess. Stop teasing her."

"Fine," she said dismissively. "I'm right, though. With that dress he is going to want to kiss you, Bella. Don't be all stupid if it happens."

I groaned quietly. "He wouldn't try it, because we are _just friends_."

"I love how you say that, like you're trying to convince yourself."

"Ugh!" I turned and escaped into the booth again to change back into my own clothes.

When I came back outside Angela and Jessica were in their own booths and I called out for Angela who poked her head out.

"Are you two done?"

"Almost, but we need to get shoes, too," she said.

"I'll get shoes some other time, I need fresh air – are we still going to Pizza Hut?"

Angela nodded.

"I'll meet you there in," I pulled out my cell phone, "an hour and a half?"

"That's plenty of time. We'll see you there."

I went to pay for my dress then hurried for the exit. Once outside I could finally breathe, and I took a few deep gulps of air. Jessica certainly wasn't easy to deal with, and she just never knew when to give up. I didn't want to think about Jacob in the way she suggested I did. He was my friend, and I didn't want to ruin that with complications. Kissing was definitely a complication, and I doubted that Jacob would try.

And what if he does try? A small voice asked. Quickly I shoved it back and glanced around, deciding I would try to find Pizza Hut and just wait for Jessica and Angela there. It couldn't be that difficult to find the place; Port Angeles wasn't that large. I had lived in Phoenix and had known the city like the back of my hand. This should have been easy, until, all of a sudden it wasn't. Soon I was finding myself completely disoriented, and the more I tried to find my way back to where I had started, the more I felt lost.

My sense of direction was off, way off, and instead of finding the stores I had already passed, I was beginning to notice that there were less and less of them. I fished out my cell phone and called Angela. She answered after a few rings and I explained that I had, somehow, managed to meander off. As I looked around I realized it was an industrial area, only a shady looking bar up ahead and a small corner shop. I gave Angela the name of the street and told them that I would wait for them here.

Just as I'd hung up someone called out.

"Hey. You there!"

I turned and spotted a guy – perhaps in his early or mid-twenties, I thought – on the opposite side of the road. Had he been talking to me? I glanced around but saw no one; I suppose he had. I jumped when I heard a voice right behind me.

"Well, well – hello there, sweetheart. What are you doing here all alone?"

Instantly my stomach lurched, and the hairs on my neck were standing up. The man on the other side of the street was sauntering casually toward me, and then, a third one appeared.

"Would you look at that," he said in a tone of voice that suggested far too much interest.

"Cat got your tongue, darlin'?" the first one said.

All three of them were surrounding me now, and all I could do was stand there, frozen. In my mind I was trying to figure out how to get myself out of this. Running would be futile, I'd fall down within a few yards. Then there was the option of self-defense, or what little I knew of it.

"I'm not alone, and I'm waiting for my friends," I said as clearly as I could. "They should be here soon," I continued to babble. If I kept them from carrying out whatever horrible things they were planning, then maybe Jessica and Angela would be able to show up in time. Also another reason why I couldn't run. I needed to stay where I was.

"How about you come with us and have a drink? What do you say about that, sweetie? Do you have a name?"

Name. A name. Jane Doe. "Jane," I said, forcing politeness into my voice. Disarm, I thought. Try to act casual. Don't show fear. Villains smell fear.

Then the second man went to grab for my arm and I flinched back. "Don't touch me," I bit out.

"Oh. A feisty one. Did you hear that?" he jeered and went to grab me again, this time he caught my arm in a tight grip. I didn't even think, I just kicked him, momentarily mortified by my automatic response. Even more so I was horrified that I felt guilty. He was hurting me!

Adrenaline surged through my veins from that single act and I jerked back from the man who still wouldn't relent his hold on me.

"Let me go," I demanded.

"But we just want to buy you a drink, sweetheart," he said in a too sweet and sickeningly polite voice. My stomach was flipping, and my heart was pumping the adrenaline through me with a fury.

Then the quiet street sounded suddenly very crowded as a screeching noise filled my ears. The grip on my arm was released and my eyes darted around to spot a silver Volvo. It didn't register at first who it was, until he stepped out of the car. It was Edward Cullen, and his face was... furious.

"Step away from the girl." Edward's voice was fierce and full of authority.

One of the men laughed at him. "Oh yeah, and what if I don't, asshole?"

Edward moved forward, and I stared at him, frozen. His gait was smooth, yet menacing at the same time; like a lion advancing on its prey, ready to pounce.

"I am not going to ask again," he warned, and it sounded like almost a growl.

"Hey, come on, man. Let's go," one of the men urged in a low voice, and in my peripheral I could see two of them backing away. The man who had called Edward names stood his ground as Edward came up to fix his dark eyes on him.

"Think you're a tough guy, do you?"

The man wasn't very tall, so Edward easily towered over him, and then, next thing I knew, the man stumbled back. His eyes were wide with fear and he turned and bolted. I still couldn't move my feet, but I stared after the men as they disappeared down the alley.

"Bella," Edward spoke my name so softly, but with an urgency that automatically made me look straight at him. "Are you all right? Did they hurt you?"

"Y-yes, I'm fine," I stuttered.

He came toward me and I stepped back, which made him pause. "I won't hurt you," he said soothingly, like he was comforting a frightened child.

My brain started working again, slowly, and I wondered where he had come from. "What are you doing here?" I blanched inwardly at how rude I sounded.

Edward inclined his head, like he was listening to something, but I heard nothing. "I could ask you the same question," he said finally, "what _are_ you doing here? Don't you know it's dangerous for a young woman to be wandering about all by herself?"

My eyes narrowed. "I got lost," I said defensively. "I was trying to find Pizza Hut, and I took a few wrong turns."

Edward smirked. "You certainly have an affinity for getting yourself into trouble, don't you?"

"Well, yes, and _you_ still haven't answered my question," I insisted stubbornly.

"I was in the neighborhood," he replied dismissively. "Will you let me take you to Pizza Hut – are you meeting friends?"

"Angela and Jessica will be here soon, I called them before those guys showed up."

"Fair enough. I will stay until they arrive. Let's not tempt fate a second time around, shall we?"

His accent and the way he spoke was so unusual that is fascinated me. "Where are you from?" I blurted without thinking. "I mean, where did you grow up? Your accent is very different."

My question seemed to catch him off guard, and I waited for him to flip his mood on me but he surprised me by giving me a crooked smile.

"I grew up in Chicago," he said after a pause, his face took on a wistful quality.

"People from Chicago don't speak like you do," I said suspiciously.

He chuckled. "Aren't we being perceptive today," he complimented thoughtfully.

I frowned. "I noticed the first time you talked to me," I pointed out. "I just didn't say anything because you're not the easiest person to talk to. You're a bit unapproachable."

At this his face finally grew serious, but not as dark and gloomy as I was used to. "That's because it is better that way," he told me in a flat voice.

The adrenaline was still in my system, and it made me brave. "And why is that?" I pressed.

Edward watched me in an odd way before answering. "Just take my word for it."

"No," I protested defiantly. Here was my chance to find out why he was being so rude, and I wouldn't back down. "I have to sit next to you in Biology, so I would appreciate it if we could at least try and be nice to each other."

His eyes hardened. "I just saved you from a group of thugs, and you accuse me of not being nice? That's very gracious of you."

Anger and guilt rose up and made my face flash hot. "Well,_ thank you_, Edward. But you still have a switch in your head and you keep flipping it. On and off. On and off." I tried to control myself, but the stupid tears were burning in my eyes as they always did when I got angry. "Why do you do that? What did I do to you?"

Pain flashed across his flawless face. "You haven't done anything. This is my problem, and it is respectfully that I tell you it is none of your concern. Take my word for it, Bella. I am sorry if I am being rude, it is not my intention. I wish I could explain it to you, but I can't. So let's not talk further of this." His eyes penetrated mine and I felt strangely lightheaded. "Please," he added quietly, but with intensity.

I didn't want to give in, I wanted answers, but the way he was looking at me robbed me of my resolve. I shook myself mentally, and tore my eyes away from his.

"I'll let it go for now. But I'm not giving up. If you don't want me to ask questions, then either stop being so moody, or find yourself a new lab partner."

He let out a frustrated sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You are so obstinate," he said under his breath, then he dropped his hand and looked at me. "Your friends are here."

Just then Jessica's car pulled up next to the sidewalk and Angela poked her head out the rolled down window. Her eyes widened when they settled on Edward.

"Hello, Angela," he said smoothly, flashing her a smile. She blinked, dazed.

"Eh – hi there," Angela said shyly.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "I'll see you in school," I said quietly and went for the car.

"Drive safely," he called out.

The moment I'd slipped into the car and the door was closed behind me, Jessica started. "What were you doing, Bella? And that was totally Edward Cullen, what's he doing here? I thought you were into Jacob-"

"Jess!" I groaned. "I got lost," I started apologetically, "and I don't know what he's doing here, he just came out of nowhere."

"What do you mean 'out of nowhere'?"

"Just drive, okay? I'll tell you on the way." I glanced out the window where Edward stood watching us with an amused expression. Ugh.

"So what happened? How did you end up down here?" Angela asked.

"I thought I could find my way to Pizza Hut – I saw it on our way here, but I took one too many wrong turns."

"And what about Edward?" Jessica probed impatiently.

"Well, these guys were trying to get me to come with them-"

"What? Oh my gosh, Bella. What's wrong with you? Can't you go anywhere without guys following you?"

"They were in their twenties or something!" I retorted, irritated. "I don't think their intentions were proper," I added quietly.

"I'm guessing this is where Edward turned up... 'out of nowhere'." Jessica glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

"Yes," I confirmed. "I don't know how he did it, but he actually scared them off."

"What did he do?" Angela asked, curious now, too.

"That's the thing – he was just looking at the guy, and all of a sudden he looked terrified and ran off..."

Jessica shook her head. "Edward is seriously _so_ strange. And it's really weird to see him out of school, sort of like seeing a celebrity eating – you know? You can't help staring."

Angela stifled back a giggle. "I don't think I've ever seen him in any other place than school," she mused.

"I know! Right? I mean, after two years you'd think they'd come into town, but no, it's only the doctor you see around sometimes." Jessica snorted. "At least we know Port Angeles is good enough for Edward," she added icily.

Edward's sudden appearance in Port Angeles sparked another one of our Cullen debates, and it continued all through dinner at Pizza Hut. I was amazed at how much Jessica knew about them, and it made me feel less pathetic for paying so much attention to them. At least I wasn't the only one who took notice of how obviously different they were.

The only Cullen who ever really made an effort to speak to someone unless spoken to was the big guy: Emmet, I recalled now. Jasper, the tall blonde one, could sometimes even ignore you if spoken to, and Jessica mentioned how he really gave her the creeps. I had noticed how he looked terribly uncomfortable, and gave Edward a run for his money in the 'stiffness' department.

Still I felt sorry for them, and when I mentioned this, Angela agreed, whereas Jessica just snorted. In her mind they should at least make an effort to fit in, but they never had, so as far as she was concerned they brought it on themselves. Forks was a small town and I, myself, knew that as a newcomer you received a fair chance at fitting in, no matter how different you were. The Cullens had shown their preference for privacy very early on, and thus they had quickly been left alone. I suppose they had each other, at least.

When I finally got home I was exhausted, and I shuddered at the thought of what kind of dreams I would have once I went to sleep tonight. But the incident in Port Angeles wasn't the worst part, not even close, because as soon as I came in the door, the phone was ringing and I rushed to answer.

"Hello?" I breathed.

"Hey, honey... Bells." It was Charlie, his voice sounded dead and my stomach dropped.

"What is it dad?" I tried to contain my panic. Had something happened? Was someone hurt? Billy? Oh no. Please.

"They found a body – we thought it was the missing person, but it was a different case, we called down to Hoquiam county, and a young girl went missing from there about three weeks ago. It's the same girl – Bells, she was only sixteen."

A strange mix of relief, dread and guilt came over me. I was glad that Billy was okay, but horrified to hear what they had found. Even worse was the possibility that the other missing person might be out there, and if he or she weren't dead already – a cold shiver ran down my spine.

"I'm so sorry, dad. That's terrible."

"I want you to stay inside, and lock the doors. I would also like it if you stayed home tomorrow night."

"Dad," I protested.

"Bella. This is serious. Until we catch whoever or whatever did this I don't want you driving around at night, alone. That's final."

"Whatever?"

"It could be an animal, we're not sure yet, she sustained some severe damage."

"An animal?"

"This isn't Phoenix, honey."

"Yeah, I guess..." Wow. Could it have been a bear? How horrible – poor girl. I sighed. "What if I go down to La Push earlier, and then maybe I can ask if I can stay the night?"

"At Billy's house?" Charlie's tone was suspicious.

"Yeah."

There was a brief pause.

"Is that really a good idea," he sounded awkward, "I know you and Jake have been spending a lot time together lately, and it's not that I don't trust him, but-"

"Dad!" My cheeks burst into flames. "_Please_. It's not like that..." Ugh!

"Oh." He sounded relieved, but the damage was already done, and I was mortified to think that Charlie had assumed that there was something going on between me and Jacob. What he had insinuated wasn't even bearable to consider: that my _father_ would think that I – that Jacob and I – too much. _Way_ too much.

"Well?" I asked carefully.

"All right – if it's okay with Billy then that's okay. You're sure there's nothing uh – you know, with you and Ja-"

"Ugh – dad!" I groaned.

Charlie scoffed. "Okay, okay. Sorry, Bells."

"Can I go now?" I whispered, humiliated.

"Yeah, honey. Just remember to lock the doors, and don't go anywhere. All right?"

"Sure thing, dad," I promised quickly.

"And I'll be late, so don't wait up for me. See you later, Bells."

"See you, dad. And I'm sorry about the girl. You be careful."

"Always am."

As soon as the line went dead I called Jacob. Billy didn't have anything against me staying the night; he didn't even comment on it, as far as I knew. How would I know if Jacob was given any looks? I turned on the ignorance at Jacob's thrilled response at me staying over, and silently scolded Charlie and Jessica for having put all manner of thoughts in my head. Of course Jacob would be thrilled at me staying there, just as I was excited about him staying over at our house after prom. We could watch some movies and relax after the prospective humiliation of dancing. It had nothing to do with anything but two friends enjoying each other's company. That's all it was. For me, anyhow.

The dreams I had that night were too strange and horrible to even mention.

**o~*iii*~o**


	10. Awareness

_**Disclaimer****: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**_

* * *

**o~*iii*~o**

**Awareness**

It was easy to tell that Charlie'd had a rough night: his eyes were slightly puffy and he continuously stifled back yawns as I watched him over my bowl of cereal. When he finally noticed my scrutiny, he forced a grin and attempted to ward off my concern with questions about my shopping trip in Port Angeles. His routine fishing trip with Harry had been canceled due to the discovery of the young girl, and once again I shuddered involuntarily when I thought about what horror she must have felt in the last moments of her life. I understood very well why Charlie didn't want me out in the dark by myself.

Since I had a couple of hours before I had to go to work, I decided to pull out some fish from the freezer and prepare a large batch of soup for Charlie. It was Grandma Swan's recipe, and I knew my dad loved it. Before he left for work he surprised me by pulling me in for an awkward hug, and it took me a second or two to return to gesture.

"You be careful now, Bells. No wandering off. Got it?"

"Yeah, dad," I mumbled against the rough material of his jacket. "Don't _you_ wander off, either," I joked back lightly.

"Okay, kiddo." Charlie pulled back and gave me a lopsided grin before he turned and left. "Give my regards to Billy and Jake!" he called out before the door closed.

While the soup simmered on the stove, I jumped in the shower. My body felt strangely lethargic, and I turned up the hot water a bit extra to hopefully work out the stiffness. I would go to La Push straight after work, so, once out of the shower, I pulled out a bag and packed some necessities before pulling on a pair of jeans and a short sleeved, button up blouse over my customary tee.

Mike wasn't his usual, talkative self, but I assumed that the news of the girl found dead would shake a small town like Forks, even its teens. _Especially_ its teens, I amended.

"So what are you up to this weekend, Mike?" I decided to finally break the uncharacteristic silence, while I picked through a few small containers with hooks to sort out sizes.

"Nothing," he said curtly in a grumble, and I paused to raise an eyebrow at him.

"O-kay..."

He sighed and slumped his shoulders. "I was going to go fishing with Tyler and Ben, but mom's in an all out panic about that girl they found, and, of course, dad's got her back – but _he_ gets to go."

My suspicions hadn't been far off. "Can't you go with your dad?" I suggested. Or were guys embarrassed to spend time with their dads?

"He's already left, and I had to work – next time," he said in defeat, then looked at me. "So... you and Jacob, huh?"

This wasn't happening!

I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling and groaned, detesting the burn in my face. "Not you _too_, Mike!" I exclaimed, exasperated.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"Look – can't two people be friends without the rest of the world assuming otherwise?"

His eyes narrowed. "Assumptions are made for a reason," he said unhappily, "and the guy's got it bad," he added in an accusatory tone of voice.

I made a face. Jacob had said the same thing. Ugh. Guys!

"So? He likes me – what of it? And what if I like him, huh? Does it _have_ to be all," I plumped my lips and made mocking kissing noises before cutting off with a grimace. "mushy and stuff, huh?"

Mike startled me when he burst out laughing.

"Great," I commented under my breath. At least he had wiped that subdued expression off his face and was now grinning.

"No, it doesn't have to be," he offered finally, after regaining his composure, "but, and as much as I don't want to admit this, you like him. Come on. You're going to prom with him, to me that's saying something."

I just stared at him for a few seconds, then slumped my shoulders. "You know what – fine. Think what you like, it doesn't matter. I _know_ how it really is, and so does Jacob."

"That you like him," Mike pointed out obstinately.

I closed my eyes. Count back from five, four, three, two, one. . . .

"Ah well, lucky guy, I guess," Mike said and picked up a pile of vests still wrapped in plastic and took them out on the floor.

What was the point in arguing with them? I had my opinion, and wouldn't relent, so why should I expect them to? They obviously believed in this delusion. Maybe it was all my fault. Perhaps I wasn't making my case clear enough. I _had_ worried from the very beginning that I might lead Jacob on, and I absolutely did not want to do that. I didn't want to hurt his feelings. How much could I expect to get away with, though? Wasn't it really uncustomary for a girl and a guy to be friends? Did that ever really work out in the end? Judging by the movies – not that they should be taken as educational aid – one always ended up falling for the other, and then things went downhill from there.

They both end up together in the end, though, a small voice reminded me. Ugh! Even in the comfort of my own stupid head I was betrayed! This wasn't a Hollywood movie where things happened through a fuzzy lens, then panned out over the happy couple in the end. It wasn't Thirteen going on Thirty. Ha! There's the flaw right there: I didn't walk around dreaming of being thirty – even my eighteenth birthday scared me. And I most certainly didn't hide in my closet with a blindfold over my eyes. Although, that's exactly what they were all suggesting, wasn't it? That I was blind.

I sighed. I wasn't blind. In fact, it was all too obvious. Jacob was the nicest person I had ever met, and I counted myself lucky to have found such a good friend. The very thought of losing that was unpleasant. Possibly even a little painful. It was silly of me to put so much value in his warm smile and his natural, carefree personality as I did. In truth it was slightly dangerous, since I knew how very rarely I opened up to people. However, once I did, they stuck on me, and I couldn't shake them.

It was all too late for that now though, this much I knew; I was already in too deep. Jacob had, in some way, closed that distance I kept from people, especially my peers. It had both surprised me and scared me. The scary feeling had come only recently, and I wasn't sure why I was frightened. It only happened when I wasn't with him. As long as he was around everything flowed so easily, and while things could get awkward from time to time, it always passed.

All these things bounced back and forth in my head until my shift was over. By the time I was on my way down to La Push, I made a conscious attempt to clear the assumptions and suggestions that Charlie, Jessica, Angela and Mike had made – they just didn't understand, I concluded.

Just as I pulled up outside the small house, Jacob came stumbling out of the garage with Quil in a headlock, Embry right on their heels. I laughed and pushed the door open while slinging my bag over my shoulder.

"Ow, ow, let go already!" Quil yelped.

"Apologize," Jacob threatened while tightening his arm around Quil.

"Oh, man – sorry! I'm sorry!"

Embry looked over to me, shrugging. "Told you it happens all the time," he said and smiled.

"You did, yeah," I remembered and laughed again when Jacob let go of Quil who jerked his shirt down and scowled at Jacob. He ignored him and grinned at me instead.

"Hey, Bella."

I grinned back. "Hey, Jacob."

Quil snorted. "Glad you made it, Jake's a pest, he's all 'I can't do that now, Bella's coming down'," he mimicked.

"Yeah, he's boring. He refused to go to the store before you showed up," Embry added.

"Okay, you can be quiet now," Jacob said, looking uncomfortable.

"I can drive you to the shop if you need something," I offered, looking between the three of them.

"I'll go," Quil piped up, and Jacob shot him a look. "Or not."

I intercepted my smile and chewed my lip. "So, um, who's going?"

"Let's walk," Embry suggested.

"Sure." Then I hiked my bag off my shoulder. "Just going to put this um, inside first," I said and walked quickly up the ramp. When I stepped inside, before the door closed completely, I thought I heard whistling. Heat skittered across my skin and flared in my cheeks. Fabulous.

"Hello, Bella!" Billy greeted me from the living room.

"Hi, Billy," I replied, smiling shyly while dropping my bag inside the door. "How are you doing?"

"No complaints here. Fit as a fiddle," he replied in his deep, rumbling voice. "How's Charlie?"

"He's good, a bit tired from work and all."

Billy's warm expression suddenly turned wary. "Yes. Bad business, that. I'm glad you'll be down here, instead of alone in the house."

"Thanks for letting me stay, Billy," I said.

"Now, now, it's all right, you're welcome here any time, Bella. But, don't you be standing around here now. Jacob won't be happy if I keep you." Billy's dark eyes twinkled mischievously and he winked.

"Can't have that, can we," I joked back to mask my embarrassment, "See you later." I turned for the door and left.

I joined Jacob and his friends, feigning ignorance when Jacob shoved Quil out of the way to walk next to me.

"So what is this whole bonfire thing about?" I asked, glancing at Jacob.

"It's tradition, to keep the community together. Mostly it's a family thing and for the younger ones, the kids," Jacob explained.

"Until their mommies take them home and leave us older kids to play," Quil added with a wink.

Embry smirked. "Look who's talking."

Quil tugged at Embry's hair. "You know, you're too cute, Emb."

"Sorry to break it to you, but I'm not interested."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "The way you two fight one could think you're in denial."

"Oh yeah?" Quil raised an eyebrow. "'Cause you're such an expert, right?"

He shrugged. "Just stating a fact."

"Here's a fact for you, Black: I'm going to ask Amanda Lee out."

"You're an idiot, that's Jared's little sister, man." Embry shook his head.

"I'll be praying for you, bro," Jacob said and laughed.

"Who's Jared?" I asked carefully.

Quil smirked. "He's a senior in our school, hangs out with Paul Hoskie a lot."

"Stay away from Paul, he's got a really short fuse," Embry warned me.

"His mom took off when he was a little kid, and his dad's best friend is Jack," Quil added.

"Jack?" I wondered, confused. The three of them exchanged a look before Jacob explained to me what it meant. "Oh – right," I said finally.

Quil and Embry happily filled me in on whatever background information they thought I needed before the bonfire. By the time we arrived at the shop I had too many names spinning around in my head, and the only thing that had really stuck was the story about Paul, and why I should stay away from him. I couldn't help feel bad for him, though. It must be hard growing up with the only parent you had shouting and drinking all the time.

Embry and I waited outside the store while Jacob and Quil went through to the back to get something. Jacob's face had been far too innocent when he'd refused to tell me what they were getting, and Embry was grinning as he watched my suspicious expression. I didn't have to wait long to find out what they were up to, and when they came back outside with what looked like potato sacks I could see it all unfold.

No doubt Jacob would make me get into a race and I would humiliate myself, ensuring that I could never return to La Push again. There was only one solution: I had to feign a headache or something.

When we arrived at the bonfire, which was located on the beach, not far from the store, there was already a large gathering of adults and kids. I recognized Harry, and the woman with him must have been Sue. I didn't remember her all too well, but from what I did, I was pretty certain it was her.

Quil pointed out his dad, Quil Senior, and his mother. Embry's mother wasn't there, and I was told that she kept pretty much to herself. They didn't elaborate, and I didn't ask. After a while I recognized the young man, Sam, who had made the rude comment about the Cullens. He was very different, and if there had been a question in regards to his age before, none remained: he was most definitely not a boy. Billy was speaking with him, I noticed now. They looked too serious in comparison to the happy faces surrounding the large fire.

I turned to mention it to Jacob, but he was already staring in their direction.

"Is something wrong?" I asked quietly.

Jacob frowned. "I don't like that guy," he replied.

I tried to figure out what might cause him to look so upset and glanced back toward Billy and Sam again. Whatever they were talking about couldn't be very good, and Billy's face was strained.

"The nerve of the guy. Seriously, everyone knows my dad's got health problems. I just don't get why he has to upset him. I bet it's Sam my dad's on the phone with all hours of the night."

I took in Jacob's darkened mood and instantly felt the need to make him feel better somehow.

"Hey, let's go for a walk or something," I suggested encouragingly. "I'm sure your dad will be fine."

"Yeah." He didn't sound too convinced, but he weaved his way through the crowd and down toward the water. I followed closely behind, throwing another glance in Billy's direction only to meet his gaze. The expression on his usually warm and open face made absolutely no sense at all: he looked terribly guilty, and he averted his eyes quickly.

"One week 'til prom," I began ominously, elbowing him lightly, "you still have time to escape."

Jacob turned to me with a grin. "Not a chance. 'Sides, I've already got the cash waiting to go pick up a tux."

My eyes widened. "You..." I didn't know what to say, and my reaction made him laugh.

"Don't look so surprised. Did you think I was going to bail on you?"

I shook my head. "No, but, um... wow."

"What?"

I shrugged, shaking myself mentally. "Nothing." Was this why he had been working more? The very prospect of that did strange things to me, and I tried to come to terms with why I was reacting like this.

Jacob poked my ribs. "Earth to Bella."

"Um, sorry," I apologized.

"You're being strange again," he teased.

"Yeah, I know. Welcome to the life of Bella Swan," I offered matter-of-factly, glancing up at him. My eyes narrowed. "You know, speaking of strange – you're taller again," I accused.

At that he laughed. "Uh huh. Six two now."

I gaped at him. "Wow. Two months ago you were like," I paused, trying to remember, "five ten?"

"Five eleven," he corrected, then patted the top of my head. "You look kind of cute from up here," he said and winked.

"Ugh." I waved his hand away. "Not my fault you're a freak of nature."

His responding chuckle was deep and throaty. "Uh, yeah, I suppose you're one to talk, aren't you." He rolled up his sleeve and aligned our arms. "You were saying?"

I couldn't stop the pout, but when I looked up at Jacob again, and found him smiling that sunny smile of his, I instantly forgave him for pointing out my obvious paleness.

A commotion broke out behind us and we turned simultaneously to see Quil and Embry with a potato sack each, scrambling to get into them.

"On three!" Quil called out.

"One, two – three!" They shouted in unison, Quil shooting off on count two. I stared at them as they hopped forward at an impressive speed.

"Cheater! You started before three!" Embry managed between bounces.

"Quit your whining, you girl!"

Jacob was laughing at them. "C'mon, Emb! You can take him!"

"Um, shouldn't there be more competitors?" I asked, and Jacob looked at me, then his eyes brightened.

"Give me a sec," he said and jogged off.

"Hey!" I called after him. What was he doing? I turned back to watch Quil and Embry who were still going at it, and I started laughing at how silly they looked. Especially Embry with his chin-length hair bobbing and whipping at his face. He had overtaken Quil now and was glancing back at him, his expression elated at his impending victory.

"Okay, here."

I had a potato sack thrust at me and stared up at Jacob in disbelief. "Oh, no – no, no, no," I protested fervently.

"Aw, c'mon, Bells. It'll be fun. No one here cares if you fall. 'Sides, they'll be too busy laughing at me when I trip. Trust me, my feet and legs can't coordinate."

"Absolutely not!"

He pouted, and feigned hurt. He really did look like a lost puppy. Ugh!

"Fine!" I exclaimed, exasperated, and he beamed at me.

We climbed into our respective potato sacks, and a giggle bubbled up my throat. I felt so incredibly stupid. But when I looked at Jacob in his own bag I burst out laughing.

"Yeah, I thought you might," he grumbled.

Embry and Quil came back then, shoving and pushing each other.

"We're doing that again, you cheated!" Embry complained.

Quil ignored him and stared at us. "Oh, man – This I've _got_ to see!" He pumped his fist. Oh no. As I looked around I realized we were gaining an audience. I shrank back, and briefly pondered whether or not to sink down into the bag completely as it was certainly big enough.

"Jake's not even going to make ten yards," Embry said.

Jacob scoffed. "I suck, but not that badly," he said defensively.

Quil smirked. "I bet you five bucks he goes down the same time as Bella."

Cursed blushing, I thought, and Quil winked at me. What had I gotten myself into?

Embry cleared his throat. "All right. On your marks – on three, okay?"

I bit my lip, feeling my heart speed up. This could only end badly, I thought, but glanced at Embry and nodded.

"One." Embry paused, and Jacob and I looked at each other.

"You better give it your best shot," Jacob challenged.

I scoffed.

"Two."

"Ready?"

My chest was tingling in anticipation, and I nodded.

"Three!"

I really threw my back – or legs, more like – into it. Of course I wouldn't stand much of a chance against Jacob, who I could tell wasn't giving it his best.

"Aw, dude! You're not going to let a girl win, are you?" Quil called after him.

It was unbelievable that I hadn't fallen yet, and I was even keeping the pace with Jacob who had sped up.

"You're so busted!" Embry hooted.

"Your ten yards are going... going... gone!" Quil shouted triumphantly.

"Is that all you've got, Bella? Weak!" Jacob hollered.

"Just you wait!" I shouted back at him, laughing.

"Hey! Watch out!" Embry yelled.

I glanced around, confused, then I saw the small, gnarled piece of driftwood and veered right, intercepting Jacob.

"Whoa-whoa-_whoa_!"

"Holy cow – oof!"

I had lost the momentum when I steered clear of the log and ended up crashing into Jacob, who instantly lost his balance. Now I was sprawled across his legs, gasping for air between fits of laughter.

"Oh yeah, baby!" Quil called out. "Told ya!"

Jacob was struggling to get up, but his entire body was shaking from all the laughing. I tried to crawl over his legs but I couldn't find purchase, all wrapped up in the potato sack as I was.

"Can't – breathe!" I gasped.

"Aw, geez – oh man," Jacob was chortling uncontrollably. "Wait," he managed between fits and scooted forward to get himself loose from beneath me. Finally he was free and he turned, stifling back on the laughter to look at me. He had sand all over himself.

I put a hand over my mouth, shaking my head while pointing at his face. His hair was in wild disarray, hanging into his face with sprinkles of sand all through it.

Jacob, on the other hand, was shaking his head, giving me that smile again.

"This look kind of suits you," he said humorously, but there was a soft undertone to it that didn't escape me.

I snorted. "I bet I look _real_ glamorous." My voice was heavy with sarcasm.

His eyes narrowed while he studied me with a thoughtful expression on his face. "I think scarecrow fits," he said, reaching out to pick at my hair, "not a very good one, though. You sort of have the opposite effect."

My cheeks burned, and my tongue was rebellious, refusing to obey me, while everything around us seemed to fade into the background – the voices behind us were nothing but muted murmurings. It might possibly have had something to do with the strange yet loud patter of my heart.

"What a useless scarecrow," I offered lamely.

"Uh huh," he agreed and dropped his hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "Probably can't even fix it," he added casually.

"Oh well, guess it's just going to have to stay 'as is', then. Do you think the refund policy has run out?"

Jacob shrugged, his hand lingering at my ear. "There's a risk that this is going to sound really corny, but – I kind of hope it has. Would be a shame to return this scarecrow... wow, okay... that was really lame." He gave me a wry smile and withdrew his hand.

I grinned, then whispered. "I don't think the scarecrow realized – useless as it is."

"Yeah?" His smile widened and I couldn't speak, so I just nodded. "Okay," he said and got up, peeling the potato sack off his legs. "Let's get back before all the food disappears." He held is hand out and I took it, letting him pull me up.

When we came back to the fire, Quil and Embry were rolling their eyes at us.

"You're pretty smooth, Black," Quil complimented.

"Jealous?" Jacob asked.

"I taught him all he knows," Quil told me grandly, ignoring Jacob.

I didn't know how to respond so I just shook my head, grinning.

"You wish you were that good," Embry mocked.

Jacob motioned for me to sit down next to Quil and Embry while he went to get us something to eat. Though, before he left, he gave his friends a look of warning. Regardless of their sometimes awkward and slightly embarrassing behavior and banter, I felt incredibly comfortable around them.

Quil looked like he was bursting to say something, which made me laugh. "Just out with it," I said and rolled my eyes.

"Do you like Jake?"

I didn't know how to answer, but that didn't matter, since I was interrupted before I could form a rational response.

"Cough up, Call," Quil said and puffed up his chest proudly while holding his hand out to Embry, palm up.

"She didn't answer!" Embry protested.

Were they betting? I just stared at them. And then Jacob came back.

"What are you guys doing?" he asked suspiciously, glancing at me briefly.

Quil and Embry were quiet like church mice now, but their serene faces made me wonder if the cherubs in those ceiling murals weren't a better comparison. I think the only things missing were the flickering halos above their heads to complete the image of their feigned innocence. Jacob turned to me when his friends wouldn't answer him. Embry and Quil shook their heads vigorously behind Jacob's back. I chewed my lip.

"Um, they were telling me about-" Quil rolled his eyes, turning a circle with his hand as if to say 'go on... come up with something!'. Jacob glanced back at them and they straightened, their faces serene.

"What's going on?"

"Is that for me?" I asked quickly, motioning to one of the paper plates in Jacob's hands.

Jacob looked down. "Uh, yeah – I just grabbed some things, is it okay?"

"It looks great! Thanks!" I took the plate, giving him what I hoped was an alluring smile. Something told me that Quil and Embry would be in trouble if he found out they were betting on me liking him. Besides, the bet sounded like it went in Jacob's favor, and I wasn't sure how to explain things to them. I didn't even know if I wanted to set them straight, as that might hurt Jacob's feelings – I was sure it would get back to him.

Jacob seemed allured, and I forced the guilt back for having tricked him. I was getting dangerously close to overstepping the lines, although they seemed to blur so easily with Jacob. The revelation surprised me, because it wasn't as terrible as I'd thought it would be; allowing it to happen to save his friends. Was it possible that I liked him, if only a little bit? Could my friends and Charlie be right? Strangely enough, I wasn't refusing the possibility as usual. Although, I tucked it away for speculation at a later time, when I was alone.

As the light waned, some of the families with the younger kids, as Quil had told me, made their way to leave. Before long the crowd had thinned considerably, leaving a small gathering of teens and a few guys and girls who looked to be at least two or three years older than me. Sam still hung around, but Billy had gone with Harry and Sue.

"That's Paul, right there," Quil leaned in to whisper to me, and I turned discretely to look at a tall, broad shouldered young man. He was talking to a guy who was only slightly shorter, but equally solid, and I was amazed at how big some of these Quileute guys were. I found myself wondering if Jacob would look like that, too, in a couple of years.

"What are they feeding you here?" I wondered quietly. "Those guys are huge!"

Jacob's expression turned somber. "Food, mostly. Then, of course, there's those blood rituals we have, where we paint our bodies with it, dance around the fire and sing to a full moon."

My mouth had popped open and I stared at him.

Quil and Embry burst out laughing, but Jacob tried to keep a straight face for longer. It became too much of an effort for him, though, and in the end he caved in.

"Ha ha, very funny," I said sarcastically.

"Hey," a deep voice called out, "Ateara!"

"Uh oh," Quil said.

The guy whom Paul had been talking to came toward us with one hand in his jean-pocket, while the other was raised, the index finger beckoning Quil.

"I heard you asked my little sister on a date," he said in an even tone.

Quil squared his shoulders. "She said yes, too," he pointed out.

"Did she now?" He was smirking.

"Is there a problem with that?" Quil asked defensively.

"That all depends, I don't want my sister going out with some douche who runs after girls 'cause he can."

Quil sighed. "I'm not a douche, dude. Yeah, I like girls, but I'm not going to dump her after one date, if that's what you're suggesting."

"Dude? Really? If you want to go out with my sister then you could show some respect. I'm not your buddy."

Quil shot up. "Comes from the mouth of someone who called me a douche. You think you're tough 'cause you hang out with Hoskie, huh?"

Embry was squirming, and, admittedly, so was I.

"Quil, man. C'mon. Cool it." Jacob stood up warily. He was much taller than Quil, but he didn't quite match the height of Paul's friend. It was close, though.

"You mouthin' off again, Ateara?" Paul had come up to us now, flanking his friend. His words were sharp and taunting.

"He was just leaving," Jacob said evenly, eying Paul and his friend.

"Aw, ain't that sweet, you got your girlfriend to talk for you?" Paul had a mocking smirk on his face and an irrational urge came over me. I wished I was bigger and stronger so I could wipe that smug look off his face!

Jacob jerked Quil back when he was going to launch himself at Paul, and he just burst out laughing.

"That's it. What the hell is your problem?" Jacob got right into Paul's face.

He sneered. "How about you ladies make up your mind; which one of you wants to have a go first?" he challenged in a mocking tone.

Quil scoffed. "Aw, come on, Husky? Don't have the balls to make a proper threat? Is that the best you got?"

Paul had stopped laughing now and looked furious. I stood up abruptly, not even knowing what I could do, small and insignificant as I was.

"Knock it off guys. Let's go. It isn't worth it," I pleaded, and my heart jumped up my throat when Paul turned his almost black eyes on me, sizing me up.

"And you are?" he bit out in restrained anger.

"Nobody," I blurted. "Just leave them alone." I wanted to slap my hands over my mouth, wondering how stupid one person could be. Paul looked like he wanted to punch me. It was only now that I recognized the adrenaline pumping through my veins. That explained my sudden death wish, I thought. I pulled my small shoulders back, not wanting to show this brute of a guy that I was scared of him.

"You're pretty cocky for a puny little white girl," Paul said acerbically.

"And you're pretty petty for a man," I retorted foolishly.

Something flashed in his eyes, and next thing I knew I was pulled back by Jacob, at the same time as Sam appeared out of nowhere, grabbing a hold of Paul.

"Stay out of it, Sam," Jacob snapped and dragged me behind him before stepping up to Sam. "This is between me and Paul."

"Step back, kid," Sam warned Jacob.

"_Kid_? Just who the hell do you think you are? Prancing around here all high and mighty – and what business did you have with my dad earlier, huh? You just stay the hell away from him, got it?"

I stared at them with widened eyes. Sam was so angry he was trembling and he let go of Paul.

"Jacob. Do as I say and walk away," Sam ordered in a strained voice – he didn't look too good.

"Oh yeah? And what if I don't, huh? What are you going to do about it?"

"Look at you," Paul leered, "All badass 'cause you're a Black – think you've got authority 'cause of your dad, you little shit?"

Quil was at him before I could blink, giving Paul a rough shove, and Jacob, having forgotten all about Sam, tried to pull Quil off him. Embry had jumped up now, too, struggling to help pry Quil away from Paul. That's when he took a swing at Quil, but Jacob blocked him with his arm, making Paul turn on him instead.

I didn't even think before I darted forward to shove Jacob out of the way. There was a whooshing sound as Paul's fist sailed past me, not even an inch from my face. I stumbled backward, tripping, and landed on my butt, the force of it knocking the wind out of me.

"Oof!"

"Enough!" Jacob yelled. "You could have hurt her! What's wrong with you?"

Jared had stepped forward now. "Paul, give it a rest," he said calmly.

"Not my fault Snow White wanted to play a hero!" Paul shouted.

"Quit it with the white jabs, Hoskie," Quil snapped.

"Stop fighting!" I shrieked, tears burning my eyes. "Just stop it! Stop it, stop it, _stop it_!" My skin flushed with anger.

They all paused their actions and turned to stare at me.

I bit down on my lip hard – I would not start crying, I wouldn't!

Jacob shot Paul a warning glare and came over to me. "Are you hurt?" he asked quietly.

I shook my head, not trusting my voice, and he reached out his hand and I took it, letting him pull me up. Then he turned back to the guys.

"Quil, Embry – c'mon," he said evenly.

"I can't believe you're letting a girl back you down from a fight, Black. All that build-up and you're just going to run off?" Paul taunted.

"Seriously, Paul, let it go," Jared demanded.

"If you can't control yourself, then stay away," Jacob told him coolly, and turned to walk away.

"Oh, you're the _Chief_ now, too?" Paul called out mockingly and laughed.

Jacob stiffened and I grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. "Jake," I whispered and glanced at Paul.

He smirked. "Ain't that just too cute – you know, doll, you don't belong here, so why don't you run on home and play."

"Paul," Sam warned.

"Man, Hoskie, you are the biggest asshole I've ever seen," Embry spat venomously.

"Get him out of here, or I swear...!" Jacob's voice was thick with anger and I clung to his hand with all my might.

"It's not worth it," I pleaded quietly, tugging at his hand.

"Yeah, come on. Let it go, bro," Quil urged.

I pulled again at Jacob's hand and reluctantly he started walking away. Paul didn't say anything else, and I didn't look back at him, either.

Ever since I met Edward Cullen I hadn't thought it was possible for someone to be more rude, but this Paul Hoskie had just outdone him by miles. Worst part about it all was that he'd nearly punched Jacob. The incredible emotion that had washed over me and made me act had been overwhelming. I'd never felt so strongly about protecting someone before. The stupid part about it was that I couldn't really do anything, but I was just so relieved that Jacob hadn't gotten hurt.

We walked in silence, Embry being the first one we said goodnight to, since he lived only a stones throw from the center of La Push. Quil made his departure soon thereafter, walking off in the opposite direction. It wasn't until then, when Jacob lifted his hand to give Quil a wave and released mine to do so, that I realized we'd been walking for at least five minutes holding hands. As soon as we continued up the street Jacob took my hand again. I didn't stop him. And now, when I was able to reflect on it, on how warm he was, and how his grasp was just right – not too tight, but secure – I decided that this wasn't scary at all. In fact, I liked it. Very much.

For the most part I kept my gaze forward, as we walked back to Billy's house, but every now and then I would glance up at Jacob, finding how his expression softened. By the time we walked up the driveway he had a little smile on his lips.

"So," he began thoughtfully, "you survived your first bonfire..."

"Yeah, I guess I did," I replied, grinning.

"I have to say – you were pretty impressive, standing up to Paul like that."

I made a face. "I was actually quite scared, you know. I just didn't want _him_ to see that."

Jacob shrugged. "Scared or not, I'm impressed."

"Um, thanks... I guess." I wasn't very good with compliments, and the way he kept looking at me made my face burn.

"C'mon," he said lightly, pulling me up the ramp. "Better get inside before the old man starts freaking out."

Billy was in front of the TV with a bag of pretzels and a beer in his hand when we walked inside.

"Well, hello, kids," he said, sounding relieved.

"Hi, Billy."

"Hey, dad." Jacob let go of my hand, telling me he'd be right back and disappeared down the hallway.

"So, Bella. How did you like the bonfire?" Billy asked and I drifted into the living room to sit down on the sofa.

"It was nice."

Billy gave me a warm smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Wait until summer comes, and you will be able to go for a swim, too. Maybe even surf, if you like that. Jacob's sister's husband got him one that's sitting out in the garage. He wasn't too excited about it, but you never know. Things change, maybe he'll try if you insist." He winked.

First potato sack racing, now surfing? What was next? Cliff diving? Although, that would require something I was inadvertently good at: falling. I respectfully held back on the laugh.

"I'm not sure anything that requires good coordination or balance skills suits me," I offered regretfully.

"The worst that could happen is that you fall in the water," Billy pointed out with good humor, just as Jacob came back with a pile of what looked to consist of a pillow, a comforter and sheets.

"Unless you're scared of getting wet," Jacob teased.

I sniffed. "No. I actually happen to like swimming, it's the one and only place I can move with grace," I declared proudly.

"So do fish," Jacob said and laughed when I snorted.

"Maybe I was meant to be a mermaid?" I made a face the moment I'd said it. "Or maybe not – I'd grow slimy seaweed on my hair and have scales." I shuddered.

Jacob grimaced, too. "And you'd smell pretty bad, too."

"Hey!"

Billy's rumbling laughter reminded me that we weren't alone. It was so amazingly relaxing to be here. It must have something to do with Jacob and his spirit. He carried an aura of 'happy' and 'ease' with him, and everyone within his immediate proximity was touched by it. Except for those guys at the beach, I reminded myself.

After Jacob had recited the incident at the beach, Billy decided it was time to call it a night, excusing himself with a 'goodnight, kids' and a 'behave yourselves', at which Jacob and I looked embarrassed. Shortly thereafter I sneaked down the hallway to the bathroom to change into sweatpants and a tee. I caught a glimpse of my hair in the mirror and snorted a laugh. I spent about five solid minutes trying to sort it out as best I could.

When I came back into the living room I stopped short, staring at –

"What's _that_?"

Jacob laughed. "I've got to make some things clear," he began in a serious tone "and maybe you've got a receipt that says you own 'Jacob the sister', but... I've gotta tell you, honey: I am no girl," he bowed with a flourish, his arms motioning toward the 'contraption' next to him in a gesture of grandeur, "welcome to my Sheet Fort," he announced in a deep voice.

I coughed discretely. "You know, I used to build blanket _castles_ with Renée," I told him, raising an eyebrow.

He stared at me. "No way."

I huffed. "Yes _way_... _And_ my ninja turtles used to decapitate my neighbor's daughter's barbie dolls!"

Jacob's mouth popped open, and he looked dazed. "Aw, man," he said dramatically. "I have a girl in my living room who decapitates barbie dolls – I think I just died and went to heaven."

I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle back on the laughter that threatened to bubble up my throat.

"You're a dork, Jake." He looked so... incredibly cute.

He shrugged but grinned. "Sure, sure. Whatever you say."

Just then the microwave beeped, and I glanced toward the kitchen suspiciously.

Jacob sobered up and winked at me. "Just a sec..." Then he disappeared into the kitchen while I drew closer to the sheet and blanket contraption. I couldn't stop smiling, and my cheeks were starting to hurt.

The coffee table had been turned on its side, and the seat of the sofa missed its cushions, which were placed on their sides against the coffee table. Covering it all were a couple of sheets. All in all it looked like a sheet _cave_ rather than _fort_, but – if he called it a fort, then a fort it was.

I was still standing by the fort when Jacob came back into the living room with a bowl and two cans of soda. He rolled his eyes.

"It's perfectly safe," he told me and set the bowl down and handed me one of the cans. "Now, we don't have that many movies to choose from, but..." He grabbed a pile of DVD's sitting on top of the TV and gave them to me. "Your pick."

It was pretty safe to say that I had entered a home where only males lived, and even if I didn't mind Star Wars, I wasn't in the mood for Chewbacca and Han Solo. Instead I picked the only one I hadn't seen several times already: The Sixth Sense.

"Nice," Jacob commended. "Now, get in there already." He motioned to the entrance of his construction, while he popped the DVD in to play. I got down, feeling silly, and crawled into the fort.

"There's lots of pillows here!" I grinned at Jacob when he ducked down and came to settle in next to me, bringing the bowl, which I now noticed was full of popcorn, with him.

"Of course," he said as if appalled by my surprise.

Because of the generous amount of pillows, we were able to comfortably half sit, otherwise I might have fallen asleep half way through the movie. Which, in itself, might not have been very good considering we had the bowl of popcorn between us, and I knew that I moved quite a bit in my sleep. Secondly, I wasn't so certain that it would look good if Billy were to come in here to find me – it would most definitely happen, again, due to my sleep-moving – with a leg or an arm across Jacob.

I wouldn't have needed to worry much, since about fifty minutes into the movie Jacob removed the bowl and set it on the other side of my legs, his explanation being in case I wanted more. Next thing he did was to take my hand and gently place it in his. While I didn't mind at all, I noted how it felt slightly different this time, and when he began to absentmindedly draw designs on the top of my hand with his thumb, I shivered.

"You cold?" he asked.

"No," I mumbled quietly, glancing over at him.

One corner of his mouth lifted. "Got sensitive hands, then?" he teased.

I shrugged. "Um, I guess so..." I'd never held hands with anyone, let alone had someone touch them the way he did, so how would I know?

"'Kay, let's try..." He flipped my hand, palm up, and ran the tip of his index finger across my palm, all the way to the tip of my middle finger. Again I shivered. Also, my palm tingled. "I'd say that's an affirmative." He looked at me, and smiled that smile again, accompanied by that head-shake thing he did. I really wanted to know what it meant, but I didn't dare ask. Plus, being this close to him robbed me of many things, among them, the excuses I made up in my head so I wouldn't see that I really liked Jacob. And not as... _just friends_. I hadn't wanted to, he was two years younger than me, but somehow it had happened anyway. To admit it was terrifying, but impossible to ignore when he was looking at me the way he did; his warm hand around mine fitting so well. Did he have these feelings too, I wondered?

I lowered my eyes quickly, afraid he would pick my thoughts right out of my brain. Instead I returned my focus to the movie, spending the next ten minutes trying to get back into it.

I watched while the woman was asleep in her chair, and when the man came close her breath could be seen like puffy clouds. I found myself wondering how she could still sleep when it was that cold, surely she felt it. This time when I shivered it wasn't because of Jacob's fingers tracing circles on my hand, but because I actually did feel cold. I wasn't usually very brave, but Jacob felt so warm that I moved just a fraction closer – close enough to lean my head on his shoulder.

Jacob's drawings paused for the briefest moment, but just long enough for me to fear that my bravery had been too much, until I felt him rest his cheek against the top of my head. I hadn't even realized that I'd tensed up, but when he, instead of continuing to trail patterns on my hand, linked his fingers through mine, I relaxed.

"I was so sure I'd have to wait til prom to get an excuse to be close to you," he revealed quietly, sounding awed.

I snorted softly. "The sheet fort was a pretty smooth move."

Jacob let out a soft chuckle. "I was kind of hoping it would work out this way," he confessed.

I peered down at our linked fingers, then reached down to find out what I had been wondering since the first time I saw him. The fine hairs on his wrist were almost too soft to feel, and his skin was unbelievably smooth, and warm. I ran my fingers up and down his arm, completely engrossed in the soft texture.

"Your skin is very pretty," I said in a whisper. "And soft."

Jacob made a funny noise through his nose, and I got the feeling he was rolling his eyes at me. Then he moved his free hand to copy the actions of mine, and his fingertips moved lightly over my arm. I shivered at the tingles they left in their wake.

"Do you like it?" he whispered very quietly.

My "yes" was barely audible, mesmerized as I was by the contrast of his coppery skin against mine, which had never seemed paler than now. The movie, long forgotten, ran its course while we continued to get to know a little bit more about the other in this different and new way. We found out that I was ticklish in the crease of my elbow, which, of course, Jacob found all too fascinating.

"Jacob," I warned when his hand crept up my arm.

"Bella," he replied, copying my tone. "Don't ruin all my fun, it's not every day you meet someone with ticklish elbow pits."

I tilted my head, that was still on his shoulder, to look up at him. "Elbow pit?"

"Uh, yeah." He pulled up one leg, pointing to the back of his knee. "And this is the knee pit," he informed me.

My eyes drifted back to his face and his dark eyes looked mischievous. He shrugged, then his fingers brushed lightly against my – as he'd called it – elbow pit. I bit back on a squeal.

"Jake!" I exclaimed.

Jacob's laugh was light and soft. "Okay, okay. I'll stop."

I scoffed. "You better, or Billy might wake up."

It was his turn to snort. "Dad sleeps like a log, don't worry about that."

"Speaking of sleeping," I began reluctantly. I didn't want to sleep yet, because I was selfish and I didn't want him to leave. But I knew that we had to, and Jacob did look tired. He made a face, though, and I nearly laughed.

"Sleep is for the weak," he declared with disgust, then he glanced at me carefully. "Of course, if you're tired, that's different."

"I'm not really tired," I admitted, but added quickly, "but we should sleep anyway. Or at least, try."

He sighed. "Yeah, you're right... five more minutes?" There was no way I could deny his request when he wore that hopeful expression on his face.

"Sure, Jake," I agreed softly, and hid my smile.

Again he rested his cheek against my head and I closed my eyes. If I were being honest I could have fallen asleep like that, and I nearly did.

"Okay. Time for bed," he said, all too soon, making my lids flutter open.

"Mm-kay," I mumbled sleepily, lifting my head and scooting over.

"Stay there. I'll put these things back in case they fall on you while you're sleeping or something."

I let out a strange laugh while holding back a yawn. "That would be just my luck: death by cushions."

Jacob chuckled while he started to return things to their rightful places. When he started to put a sheet on the sofa, I jumped up to help him. Once the sofa was made I slipped down the hallway to brush my teeth quickly. When I came back, he had the comforter in his arms and nodded toward the sofa.

"Are you going to tuck me in?" I teased.

"Sure, sure. If you want?" He didn't look like he'd mind.

I shrugged. "Okay."

As soon as I had settled into a comfortable position, Jacob proceeded to drape the comforter over me, bundling my feet up until I felt like I was in a cocoon. I stifled back a girly giggle, not wanting to humiliate myself.

"There," he said proudly.

"I feel silly – like a burrito."

Jacob smiled down at me. "A very cute burrito," he corrected, making my cheeks feel warm, and he shook his head. "Okay," he exhaled, "bedtime... so, uh – night, Bells."

I returned his smile. "Night, Jake," I replied quietly, and he hesitated, looking at me for a long moment. I couldn't read his face in this light, now that the TV had been turned off. He looked like he was about to say something though, but then he caught himself.

"Right... teeth, bed, sleep," he turned abruptly, then paused, "uh – night...again." And with that he left; his departure felt more like an escape rather than a casual stroll for the bedroom. I spent a good while wondering what it meant, but my sleep-riddled brain couldn't make sense of anything. In the end, fatigue won out, and I drifted off to sleep.

**o~*iii*~o**


	11. Affirmation

_**Disclaimer****: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**_

* * *

**o~*iii*~o**

**Affirmation**

The week before prom was, in no uncertain terms, hectic. Not only did I have several shifts at the Newton's Outfitters, but I needed to squeeze in another trip to Port Angeles, to go find a pair of shoes. The dress hung from it's hanger on the closet door and seemed to laugh at me every morning as I got out of bed, or mockingly wish me 'sweet dreams' as I popped one eye open to glare at it before turning over and going to sleep at night. It was a strange thing: I was both excited and utterly terrified of prom, all at the same time. But it was no longer because I was worried I would make a complete fool out of myself and trip while dancing with Jacob. No. Not even the prospect of wearing a dress and makeup frightened me. It was the very reason behind why it did _not_ faze me that freaked me out.

Suddenly I cared what I might look like! It was so stupid, and absolutely ridiculous. Since when did I care, at all? I barely gave my reflection a second thought when I brushed my teeth in the mornings before school. I hadn't ever been the kind of girl to check out my refection before starting my day. But when I had come home from La Push on Sunday afternoon, I had rushed up to my room and locked the door, leaving Charlie to stare after me with a mix of worry and confusion on his face. Then I had stayed there for a good hour, while I had a heated debate with myself that would have put the entire US congress to shame.

It had all started when I _left_ La Push. Jacob had waved me off as usual. His smile, while bright and sunny as always, had been different somehow, and I had been distracted. As a result, my poor truck had nearly been driven into the ditch when I took the turn too early out on the road. I had seen Jacob laugh through the rearview mirror, and been thoroughly grateful in that moment that I was able to hide my burning face from him.

Once finally on the road, and on my way home, the thoughts had popped up – one after another – unbidden. It was silly – _they_ were silly. I was the one who had asked Jacob to the prom. I'd done so a while ago already. But, even so, it hit suddenly me: I was going to prom _with Jacob_. Not only that, I was going to _dance_ _at prom_ _with Jacob_. I would wear a dress – grimace – and he would be wearing a tux. He would show up at Charlie's place, they would probably have an awkward discussion where my dad – as customary, and required of him to state simple facts – would tell him 'no funny business'. I would wait, of course, for a few minutes before coming downstairs – that's as far as I got in my contemplation before I had to pull over, due to severe lack of oxygen.

During the entire trip back home I kept starting over, going through these steps, but each and every single time I got to the part where I would come down the stairs to find Jacob waiting for me I couldn't go any further. I was terrified. My friend – of whom I no longer seemed to be able to think of as _just_ a friend – suddenly made me _very_ nervous. Or what he might be _thinking_ did. There was no need for a degree in rocket science to come to the conclusion that he was... _attractive_. I thought it and cringed. Since when did the acknowledgment of his looks turn me into mush and make my face so horrifyingly hot? How many times hadn't I looked at him and accepted it as simple fact? Jacob looked good. Yes. So why the sudden lack of control and inability to prioritize my thoughts? It was clearly not safe to think about him _at all_ anymore while driving. Ugh!

So there I was – country music blaring, since the horrible nasal, whiny voices assisted in keeping me from singing along and prevented my mind from drifting – driving the rest of the way home, counting trees and cracks on the road.

At long last, in the safe haven of my room – where my undivided attention was no longer required to keep my truck on my side of the line to avoid harmful disasters to the fellow road users – I was, once more, able to focus on the whirlwind of questions in my mind.

I'd been lying to myself. When it all boiled down to it I had deliberately gone out of my way to reiterate that Jacob and I were friends. Just friends. Really, _really_ good friends. It's all I had been able to deal with; it's all we could be. He was two years younger than me, and in a little over one year's time I would be moving away from this town and going to college. What a stupid time to let my guard down and allow myself to get so close to someone. Hadn't it been difficult enough moving away from Renée to come to Forks?

Again I wished that I could be like normal teenagers: dive head first into whatever opportunity presented itself to them, unconcerned about where their actions would lead them to because it was _the_ _now_ that mattered. There would be plenty of time to be grown up and make decisions with the head and not the heart. But, once again, wasn't it all just a little bit too late for that? I _had_ been more like a teenager, as rightfully I should be, instead of hiding away and brooding over the future that would come no matter how much I worried about it.

It was all Jacob's fault, I decided. For smoothing the crease between my brows when I frowned; for breaking through the glum clouds with his sunny and infectious smile; for making everything seem so easy and natural that I didn't even realize what was happening until it was too late. Like taking my hand and making me reliant on his warmth before my mind could even catch up and launch its defense mechanisms. Even here, in the solitude of my own room, away from him, it was difficult to gain back my ignorance. I wasn't even sure I wanted it back. A part of me was already thinking, hoping and wishing that whatever I felt, he felt too. Of course, the other part, the bigger and stronger and more skeptical part reminded me that I was quite plain and boring.

That's how it all started. Slipping out of my ignorant bliss and into this constant haze of uncertainty. I started taking so many things into account that had never even dawned on me. I had never dated, and no one had ever asked me, but it had never been a big deal, had never been more to me than simple fact – until now. It was intimidating to suddenly wonder why I was seventeen and had never even been on a date. I took some comfort in the fact that both Mike and Tyler had asked me to those stupid dances, so I couldn't be _completely_ off the radar. But then I rationalized that I had been the new girl, a temporary fascination.

I remembered the year before I had moved away from Phoenix. A new girl had moved there all the way from Philadelphia, and for the first couple of months she had gained quite the entourage. She had enrolled right at the start of the term in fall, and when we all came back after Christmas she took a seat with me and my friends in the cafeteria, instead of with the crowd she'd hung out with before the holidays. There she stayed and nobody paid her much mind after that. Whatever happened, I don't know, since she didn't talk much. All I could figure was that the initial fascination had passed, and she was now just one more student among the other seven hundred in our class.

A small voice told me that I needn't worry, and reminded me of how much Jacob seemed to enjoy my company, just as much as I enjoyed his. But then I shook my head, mentally, and pointed out that I hadn't been aware of how I felt, and that I'd acted like a _friend_. There had been no reason for him to suspect that I felt this way. Certainly I hoped I could – I _would_ continue to act as if nothing had happened. If I were to start acting differently in his company then maybe I would freak him out. Not that he'd minded when I rested my head on his shoulder. He'd also held my hand, the small voice pointed out. Not only that, he seemed to _want_ to be close to me. That smooth move with the Sheet Fort – as I now was able to recognize as a very sweet gesture – and then his confession of things having gone how he had _hoped_ they would. Maybe he liked me just a little, then? I could live with that. Just as long as I got to hold his hand again – I would be very happy with that, I finally decided after too many hours thinking about it.

At last, I was able to squeeze in that trip to Port Angeles; Angela offered to come with me and I'd gladly welcomed her company. This time I'd been able to browse through the shoe department without needing to escape for fresh air. While Angela still managed to bring up Jacob, she let things drop without me asking, when she noticed my reluctance to talk about it. I was aware now of the things she and Jessica, among others, had pointed out, but it didn't make me anymore willing to discuss it. Not yet. It was all too new, and unfamiliar, territory for me. She had, however, talked me into letting her do my hair for prom. Jacob's scarecrow-comment had popped into my head, and suddenly I'd been flabbergasted to find that I actually cared a little, and did _not_ want to look like something the cat dragged in. Even if he'd pointed out that it would be a shame to lose a malfunctioning bird-repellent. Likeable or not, I would not show up at prom with my hair in disarray.

Of course, when Angela had mentioned the next day during lunch that she was going to do my hair, Jessica had squealed and insisted I let her do my makeup. She'd proceeded to scrutinize my face and, much to my discomfort, tell me about all the things she'd do to it. The looks I'd been given by the rest of our group around the table had made my face flush red hot. Lauren, who had managed to slip into Jessica's good graces again, had fired daggers at me with her pale eyes and I'd cringed.

So, as such, it was no wonder I was now in the early stages of hyperventilation, waiting for the bell to call the class to an end; it was the end of the day, and it was _prom-day_. As much as I needed to get out into the fresh air, I also wished that I could fast forward through what was to come next. Or avoid it entirely. The latter being the much more appealing option. But, like with all things dreaded, they all come to pass, and finally the bell did ring. Jessica was nearly bouncing out of her seat, when she grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the classroom under the scrutiny of our classmates. I flashed them what I hoped was a smile that said, 'it's all her, it's not me, I'm just an innocent puppet. Look! See the strings?'.

I had never been at Jessica's house before today, and after meeting her mother, I knew where she got her 'million-words-a-minute' personality from. By the time Jessica managed to cut her mother off and dragged me to her room, with Angela in tow, I was actually looking forward to the abuse of my _au naturel_ look. Anything to escape the twenty questions fired by Mrs. Stanley.

It took all of my energy to convince Jessica that I really didn't want anything on my face. I did, however, allow her to apply mascara and the smallest amount of liner. After much, much begging and pouting from her glossy lips I relented and let her add a light and neutral-colored eyeshadow.

"Stop fidgeting," Jessica ordered in exasperation.

I stilled my hands in my lap. "Sorry," I mumbled.

She sighed. "I'm so jealous. Your skin totally doesn't need foundation, but I have to put some on your lids or the eyeshadow won't stay in place," she explained expertly.

I frowned. "Fine."

The fruity fragrance of her perfume, and the bubblegum that she kept smacking, proved thoroughly distracting, almost agitating, and I tried desperately to just sit calmly while she prodded my eyes.

"Jacob's going to die when he sees Bella," she gushed after popping a bubble. "Right?" She must have been looking to Angela for a reply, who giggled behind me.

"He's going to be speechless," Angela said dreamily.

I groaned. "Please don't talk like that." The thought of Jacob having any sort of reaction to my uncharacteristic use of makeup, or any other part of my appearance, was incredibly unnerving. I hoped and prayed that we would just act normally, and be how we always were.

Jessica leaned away from me, and I popped one eye open to watch her reach for her stereo to change the CD. "Don't be such a spoilsport, Bella," she chided, then turned back to me. "And keep your eyes closed!"

I actually cracked a smile. When Jessica got annoyed I instantly got an image in my head of a tiny girl throwing a tantrum and stomping her foot, just like they did on TV.

"Sorry... again," I said apologetically and closed my eye.

"So... we will come pick you and Jacob up at six, and you better be ready," Jessica said in a businesslike tone of voice. "Mike drives like an old lady, so we'll be lucky if we get there before Christmas as it is."

"I'd rather get there late than never," Angela piped up in defense of Mike's driving.

Jessica sighed again. "I swear, it's like I'm the _only_ _one_ who cares about the prom. I bet you two would rather cuddle up on the sofa with your dates and watch movies instead."

I tried to stop the smile that automatically crept onto my lips when I thought about Jacob's Sheet Fort, but Jessica, observant as she is, noticed.

"Okay. What. Was. _That_?"

My lids flew open. "Huh?"

"That. Right there. That _smile_. What were you _thinking_ just then?"

I shook my head. "Um, nothing."

"Liar, liar, pants on fire! I'm so letting you go to prom with only one eye made up if you don't spill – Ang, stop doing her hair," Jessica demanded, and Angela paused her actions.

Jessica leaned back, demonstratively fiddling with the makeup brush. Was she serious?

"Jess, please-"

She cut me off with a snort. "Clock's ticking..."

I rolled my eyes. "Ugh. I was just thinking about... um, Sheet Forts." This time I didn't even bother to stop the smile, since I was busted anyway.

Jessica gave me a blank stare. "Sheet-what?"

Angela laughed. "I build those all the time with my brothers – seriously, Jess. Don't you know what they are?"

She shook her head. "No. What are they?"

"They're a fortress, a castle or house made from cushions and sheets, blankets... whatever you want, really," I explained. The excitement in my voice made me laugh, but even more so the unimpressed look on Jessica's face.

"Or chairs," Angela pointed out.

"Yeah, and coffee tables," I added as well. Angela and I exchanged a glance.

"O-kay," Jessica said hesitantly. "So what's that got to do with anything?"

"I stayed over at Jacob's place last weekend and he built me one. We watched a movie in it," I told her.

It was Angela's turn to squeal. "That's so cute!"

Now Jessica had perked up. "You what? You slept over at Jacob's house?" She ogled me.

"Um, yes."

"And your _dad_ allowed it? The _Chief of Police_?"

My brows pulled together. "Why not?"

She shook her head. "Okay, never mind – you slept over... what happened?"

My cheeks prickled with heat at the suggestive tone in her question. "We watched a movie, talked..."

"..._and_?" Jessica pressed impatiently.

I don't know why I was so tongue-tied on this whole thing. It was difficult to get the words past my lips; plus, something told me Jessica was expecting more than I could tell her.

"Um, he held my hand?" I offered as if to ask 'is that what you wanted to know?'.

"So sweet..." Angela let out a contented sigh.

Jessica's perfect brows narrowed; she was clearly not impressed at all. "That's it? No cuddling, no kissing?"

"Jess," I protested.

"Oh, come on, Bella! You let him hold your hand – didn't you want to _kiss him_?"

I shrugged. "It sort of didn't come up," I told her honestly.

"That's not what I asked," Jessica pointed out, and I sighed.

"Please. Can we not...?"

She dangled the makeup brush in front of my face. "Do you know how to use this?" She quirked a brow, and I shook my head. "Then answer the question."

I sighed heavily. "I don't know... maybe, yes – no. He's fifteen! I-" What was I supposed to say? My cheeks were burning again and I felt embarrassed. "I honestly haven't thought about it," I confessed.

Jessica let out a disgusted snort. "Fifteen – you _do_ realize he doesn't look it, right? I mean, don't get me started on how he looks, he's obviously off limits, but _Lord,_ he's _tall_!"

"What about his looks?" I asked suspiciously.

"Trust me, it's nothing bad – but I know how you get, and unless you want me to check out Jacob's butt-"

"Jess!" I gasped.

Angela burst out laughing. "Way to go, Jess," she managed.

"Yeah, it's yours, I get that," Jessica told me matter-of-factly.

I sputtered. "Jacob's... _butt_... is _not_ _mine_!" It had been hard to formulate the word 'butt' in the same sentence as Jacob, and the moment I finished, I started laughing at the absurdity of the situation. I couldn't believe I was indulging her.

"Whatever," she said dismissively. "Look. If Jacob was, let's say – eighteen, would you kiss him?"

"I don't know, Jess. Okay? I just... I've never kissed anyone before!"

Her lips formed a perfect little 'o'. "So, it's not really about the age then, is it?"

I opened my mouth to protest but stopped myself, and took a deep breath. "You don't think that he's too young?" I asked instead, trying to mask my genuine curiosity by feigning indifference; there would be no stopping Jessica if she thought I put much stock in her opinions.

Jessica looked thoughtful for a moment. "Normally I'd say yes, but, as I said, Jacob's not the average fifteen-year-old, so to answer your question: no."

"I agree," Angela said carefully.

My eyes narrowed. "And what about the fact that he's my dad's best friend's son? I mean... what if um, let's be hypothetical now, okay?" Their silence gave me an affirmative to continue. "So, if Jacob and I ended up... dating or something, and then we break up... that would be weird for Charlie and Billy, right?" I pointed out.

Jessica smirked and ignored my question. "Hypothetically speaking, if he kissed you, would you kiss him back?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Hypothetically speaking, if this continues we'll never know because we'll be stuck here until _Lord_ knows when."

"Good one," Angela commended, then laughed when Jessica scowled.

I sighed. "Pretty please, can you finish my other eye now? Or I'm sure Jacob will die from _laughter_ more than anything else when he sees me."

Jessica's arms were folded obstinately across her chest and she sniffed. "I'm waiting."

"Yes!" I exclaimed. "If _he_ started it! But... I would have _no_ idea what to do." One of these days I would give myself heart failure due to all the blood collecting in my face. It would be just the kind of thing that could happen to me, and me only.

Instantly she sat up, a satisfied smile on her face. "Close your eyes already – do you have any idea of how much time you've made us waste?"

I rolled my eyes before closing them. "Yeah. It's all _my_ fault, isn't it?"

"Yeah. It is, actually. But never mind that. Oh, and about the kissing – you'll know what to do. Be more worried about him not knowing... seriously, this one guy, he stuck his tongue so far down my throat that it made me wonder if he was trying to choke me to death."

"That's gross," Angela said, sounding thoroughly disgusted.

They continued like that, while I sat silently listening to their different experiences with kissing. I didn't feel like an outsider, but I was far too occupied with thoughts of the conversation we'd just had about Jacob to even think about anything else. One question kept rattling around inside my brain: was I making too big a deal out of the age difference? Since I couldn't come up with an answer, I left it, and decided I would try to ignore the fact for now. Especially considering Jessica's straightforward observation: Jacob wasn't the average fifteen-year-old. So, as it would seem, I obviously didn't have any good excuses left. Well, apart from the fear of losing Jacob as my friend, and admittedly, that was a pretty horrible prospect. I knew that if I lost him, I would be heartbroken.

Angela worked a miracle on my hair, and when I finally got to look at myself in the mirror, my mouth popped open in shock. I had never worn my hair up, and even if I did have natural waves, the way she'd accentuated them looked really nice. So, with my hair half-piled on my head, while the rest fell down in a tail between my shoulder blades, I gave them both a hug, and thanked them awkwardly before escaping out to my truck. Jessica reminded me again to be ready at six, and I promised I would be – _we_ would be.

Charlie's cruiser was in the driveway when I arrived and it took me a couple of minutes before I dared to walk inside. When I finally did walk through the door, I knew I probably should have called ahead to warn him. Both of us went into the running for the most awkward reaction in history. I think, in that moment, it dawned on the both of us that I was actually a girl.

"Well, Bells," he began, scratching his chin. "You look really uh, beautiful."

I flushed, embarrassed. "Um, thanks, dad," I mumbled. "I should probably um, go upstairs and get changed," I added awkwardly before making my way toward the stairs.

"Jacob called, he's on his way!" Charlie called after me and I missed a step, nearly diving nose first into the stairs.

"Shoot," I grumbled under my breath. This was exactly why I shouldn't carry out prospectively hazardous actions while thinking about Jacob. If it had been bad before, it was even worse now after the conversation I'd had with Jessica and Angela.

I climbed the rest of the stairs carefully.

Ten minutes later I had the halter dress and my strappy kitten heels on, and I was actually using the mirror on the inside of my closet door to study the end result. With the added height – however minuscule it was – the skirt of my dress no longer touched the ground. I was immensely glad for not having an overly developed chest, or, with the low cut of the dress, the cleavage would have been embarrassing. I might appreciate my humble breasts, but I didn't want to flaunt them. Only now did it really register how truly revealing the dress was – that's what I got for letting Jessica pick it out for me. Keeping that in mind, I readjusted the bodice slightly, to try and make as little as possible visible. In the end I gave up though – hopefully it was just me freaking out again, and making too big a deal out of nothing.

"At least you don't look like a scarecrow," I told my reflection begrudgingly, before shoving the door closed and turning for the hallway. I snatched up a bag where I'd keep my cell and the camera Charlie would let me borrow to take pictures at prom. First he would need to take a picture of me and Jacob, which made me groan inwardly. I just knew that my genetic flaw would strike with a vengeance, and then we would have my embarrassment immortalized for generations to come: 'and here we have great-grandma Bella' someone would say, and the kid would giggle 'she looks like a tomato!'. Yes. I could most definitely see that one coming. Ugh.

I descended the stairs, taking great care not to trip. There was no way that I would stay upstairs until Jacob showed up. That would be begging for a disaster. The odds that I'd fall when no one was looking were much smaller, so therefore I would wait downstairs. Also, I would feel less like an exhibit.

"Wow, honey," Charlie said, when I came into the kitchen.

"Dad," I pleaded. "Please. Don't embarrass me."

He grinned. "Okay, Bells. Still, you look really great. Jake's a lucky guy to take my gorgeous little girl to prom." My dad sure looked proud, and I tried to smile, even if I felt horribly nervous.

"I'm not so little anymore, dad," I reminded him.

Charlie huffed. "To me you'll always be my little girl, Bells. That's my prerogative as a dad."

"Right." I chewed my lip and reached up to pull a glass out of the cabinet, and poured myself some water.

Someone honked the horn outside and I jumped, nearly dropping the glass. "Get it together," I scolded under my breath while Charlie went to get the door.

"Hey, Jake! Wow, you sure have grown!" my dad exclaimed in surprise, and suddenly I wanted to run away and hide under a rock, and not come out until someone made me.

"Hey, Chief – I've got good genes, what can I say?" I heard Jacob joke, and my stomach was assaulted by the strangest feeling at his husky voice, almost as if I had a million butterflies going berserk in there. Oh no! What was happening to me?

I tried to close my ears to what I was certain would happen next. I didn't want to listen to my dad telling Jacob to behave himself. Instead I recited the Star Spangled Banner inside my head until Charlie calling my name broke through it. Deep breaths, I told myself, and turned.

My dad came into the kitchen, giving me a confused expression.

"What?"

"I called out to you twice, Bells. Are you okay?"

"Oh. Right. Um, yes. I'm great..."

Whatever else I was going to say fell away when Jacob stepped into the kitchen. I actually did that 'look once, then look twice, because you're not certain you really did see what you think you saw' kind of thing. But, there he was, in his tux – black; the cummerbund and bow tie a close match to my burgundy dress – just like he'd said, and all I could repeat in my head was: where did the cute boy from First Beach go? And: who is this tall, broad shouldered, and tongue-tyingly handsome guy standing in my dad's kitchen? That is, until I met his eyes, and noticed that I wasn't the only one who'd lost my ability to speak. I'm not entirely sure what my face revealed, but Jacob's expression was... dazed. There really was no other word to describe it.

Of course Charlie would know how to bring us out of it, and he did so by clearing his throat. "Well, I'll give you two a moment," he said awkwardly and slipped out of the kitchen. My poor dad!

Jacob and I started to say something at the same time, which made us both laugh nervously.

"You go first," I suggested. How did I not spontaneously combust from the obvious heat in my cheeks?

"Well, uh... hey," he said, hesitating in the doorway.

"Hey," I replied.

There was a really long – not even one minute, but it felt like forever – pause, where neither of us said anything, except for possibly holding an entire conversation in our heads. At least, that's what I was doing. I couldn't answer for Jacob.

"Wow, so... you look about as uncomfortable as I feel," Jacob said finally and moved forward to pull out a chair, although he didn't sit down straight away. What had happened, I wondered. This wasn't how we usually were!

"Well, it _could_ have something to do with this..." I trailed off and picked at the dress, while drifting toward the table.

Jacob looked at me. Yes, what I had been afraid would happen was, in all actuality, happening, and I didn't have the faintest idea how to proceed from here.

"Aw, man – this is totally my fault," he blurted and sank down on the chair, then he gestured with his hand for me to sit down, which I did, and folded my hands in my lap where he wouldn't see how roughly I was wringing them. "Look – here," he said and leaned his elbows on the table, one hand stretched out across the surface, wriggling his fingers as if he wanted me to give him something. I didn't understand at first what he meant, and he rolled his eyes. "Your hand, Bells," he urged.

"Oh." I released the material of my dress and brought my own elbows to rest on the table, then went to place my hand in his, but he grabbed it before I was even close. The moment his fingers twined with mine, it was as if someone released a really tight rubber band that had constricted my chest. I hadn't even known I was having trouble breathing to begin with, but I exhaled nonetheless, and so did he.

I glanced at his face, and he was smiling – that sunny smile I'd been missing ever since last Sunday. Of course I smiled back; it just came naturally.

"Better," he said and squeezed my hand.

I nodded. "Yeah. Much better," I agreed.

"So who do I need to have a serious talk with, so I don't have to go a whole week without seeing you again?" he teased.

I sighed. "That would be Mrs. Newton... I'm sorry," I said, genuinely, truly, deeply sorry I hadn't been able to see him.

Jacob chuckled. "You don't have to say sorry."

"Well, it _has_ been my fault, I could have come down to see you – speaking of which; what did you mean was _your_ fault?" I wondered.

"Uh, I should have done or said something when I got here, instead of hanging back like an idiot."

I snorted. "And I made such a great effort, did I?"

His eyes narrowed. "Well, now that you mention it – why did you look so-" he cut himself off, then he smiled and shook his head, before taking a deep breath. "You know what – you look really beautiful, Bella," he told me in a soft, but very direct tone of voice that I'd never heard from him before, and I wasn't quite sure what it meant. All I knew was that my heart responded to it in strange and unfamiliar ways. "And," he began to speak again, but now his voice was lower, some of the awkwardness having returned, "that's kind of why it was my fault," his eyes left mine to follow the movement of his thumb over my hand, "'cause I wanted to tell you how uh, beautiful you are, but... I wasn't sure if I should – wow, I sound so lame – so uh, yeah. There you go – totally my fault."

It was equally my fault, I thought. I'd been completely caught off guard, and it was still hard not to stare at him shamelessly – I was so pathetic.

"Well," I hedged, "my brain is sort of malfunctioning, so, it's a little bit my fault too. I mean, you do look quite um... good," I finished lamely. Good? Ugh! "Handsome, actually," I corrected in a quiet voice, not daring to look at him anymore. I wondered if it would be possible to fry an egg on my face – it certainly felt hot enough.

"Yeah?" The mixture between surprise and humor in his voice finally made me look up at his face. He was grinning at me. I chewed my lip and nodded, feeling a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.

"Um, yes."

Suddenly his expression changed, like something had just dawned on him, and he stood up, letting go of my hand. "Uh, just a sec," he said apologetically, and disappeared out of the kitchen. I stared after him, wondering what had happened. I wasn't left with my confusion for too long, since he came back quickly with his bag and placed it on the chair he'd sat on only seconds before.

"I almost forgot... I suck at this stuff," he said under his breath, as if talking to himself, while unzipping the bag. He dug into it and pulled out a clear container. Instantly I recognized what it was and looked up at his sheepish grin. "Got to do this properly, don't we?"

Jacob proceeded to lift the bag to the floor to sit down again, then he opened the plastic container and picked out the corsage carefully. It was simple, but so very, very pretty; one ivory rose nestled snugly against a slightly larger wine-colored one, accentuated by baby's breath and sheer ribbon in a pretty bow.

"Put your hand on the table," he instructed, and I did as he asked. Then he placed the corsage against my left wrist and tied the loose ribbon around it. I watched his face as he did this, noting the look of pure concentration he wore. "I'll mess up if you stare at me, Bells."

"Sorry. It's not every day there's a guy in a tux sitting at my dad's kitchen table," I offered in my defense. "Tying a corsage to my wrist, nonetheless. Now _there's_ something I never thought I'd see."

Jacob chuckled quietly. "I think we scared the Chief a bit," he said in amusement.

I scoffed. "You _think_?"

He shrugged, then leaned back. "There," he said with a grin, and I lifted my wrist, twisting it slightly while admiring the arrangement.

"It's very pretty." I smiled at Jacob, then I held up one finger. "My turn now," I said ominously and got up to get my bag off the kitchen counter. I reached into it and pulled out the burgundy satin ribbon I'd bought while in Port Angeles with Angela.

"Uh oh," Jacob said.

"Be afraid, be _very_ afraid," I menaced and walked up to him while dangling the ribbon in front of his face. He rolled his eyes then lifted his hands, making 'come hither' gestures.

"Bring it on," he challenged and I laughed.

"As you wish – but hey... at least you escaped the pigtails." I winked at him before stepping around his back.

Jacob laughed. "I would have needed to confiscate all the cameras at your prom – if that had ever gotten back to Quil and Embry, they never would have let me live it down."

I cringed. "Yeah, um, I'm sorry about that. I don't think I ever really planned on actually going through with it." I slipped the ribbon beneath his ponytail and wound it around it a couple of times before tying it in a neat bow. "This, on the other hand, actually looks good," I told him honestly, and carefully combed my fingers through the silky strands before stepping back.

"Any excuse to touch my hair, huh?" he teased.

I smacked his shoulder lightly, blushing. "You would know all about making up excuses, wouldn't you?" I retorted playfully.

His warm hand wrapped around mine and he stood up. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he answered casually, but winked.

"Sure you don't," I said nonchalantly and went to withdraw my hand but he squeezed my fingers. "Um, I've got something else for you," I explained, "and I kind of need both hands."

His eyes narrowed. "A tiara?"

"Of course." I got my hand back and moved toward the fridge to pull out the boutonniere – a single white rose with maroon tips – then turned back to Jacob whose brows lifted in surprise.

"Now, what did you say before...? We have to do this properly, right?"

He shrugged, grinning. "S'pose I did say that, didn't I?"

"Stay absolutely still... or I might hurt you... or myself, for that matter," I cautioned before stepping up to him. I took extra care when pinning the rose to the lapel of his jacket, then I smoothed it gently with my hand. "There we go; danger eliminated, you can call off the reinforcements."

Jacob lowered his head and spoke in a low voice into his cupped hand. "Alpha one, reporting to base: the coast is clear."

"Well, kids – I think your ride is here," Charlie's voice drifted from the doorway, startling the both of us. We took a step back from each other at the same time, and I thought I heard Jacob clear his throat discreetly. I peered at Charlie who didn't seem bothered by how close Jacob and I had stood, if anything, I thought, he had this contented look on his face. Ugh.

"Okay – um, we better take that picture first though," I finally replied, blushing.

He responded with a wave of the camera in his hand.

"All right," Charlie said and gestured for Jacob and I to walk past him into the hallway. "Let's get this done." I snatched up my bag and brought it with me to drop just at the door before turning toward my dad. "However you want to do it, uh – say when."

I glanced up at Jacob who shrugged. "Don't look at me, I'm just a monkey in a suit," he said and flashed me a bright smile. Charlie started laughing.

"You said it, son." He sounded thoroughly amused.

"Just take the picture, dad," I grumbled.

"At least lose the frown, honey," Charlie suggested.

"Don't say cheese," Jacob added, and I looked up at him.

"Huh?"

"I said-"

"I heard what you said – but why?"

He shrugged. "It's this thing you're supposed to say, but when people ask you to say cheese you always get this 'get on with it already' look on your face, so I thought I'd reverse it. This look is much better," he complimented, gesturing to my face, "and much more fun."

Charlie guffawed. "Ah, Bells – look into the camera, honey," he managed between laughs. I turned slowly, not at all sure what I looked like, but the whole situation was bizarre, so I just grinned. That's when Charlie decided to snap the shot. "Here you go," he handed me the camera, "now... have fun, and don't go wandering off anywhere, okay?" He turned to Jacob then. "You remember what we talked about," he reminded him meaningfully.

"Yessir," Jacob acknowledged, his face all business.

Charlie huffed. "No need for that formal nonsense with me, Jake."

"Okay, Charlie." He grinned.

"Off you go," my dad ordered gruffly.

Jacob and I turned, and I plucked my jacked off the coat hanger before we walked outside, then grabbed my bag on my way through the door.

"See you, dad!" I called out over my shoulder and closed the door.

Jessica was in the front of the Suburban with Mike, and she was scowling at me, pointing to the invisible watch on her wrist as Jacob and I walked across the front lawn.

"Oh boy," I sighed. "Here we go."

"Can't wait," Jacob said quietly, chuckling.

Back in Phoenix they always held proms in hotel ballrooms, but here in Forks, the largest space available to fit a dance was the gym. When we arrived I gave Jacob his ticket before we filed out of the van. He offered me his arm in a gentlemanly fashion and I restrained the urge to roll my eyes at him, taking his arm with a poor attempt at grace.

"Aw, don't pout, Bells. We've got to act the part for at least five minutes."

I peered up at him with narrowed eyes. "Show off," I accused teasingly, and he laughed.

"Yeah, that's my middle name," he said.

"It could be," I joked lightly, poking his side.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "I think you're talking about Quil now. If he was here with you tonight, everybody in La Push would know about it."

"Who's Quil?" came Jessica's overly curious query.

"One of my best friends," Jacob told her, and I thought the flickering twinkle of interest in her eyes was all too obvious.

"And how old is Quil?" she asked. Both Mike and I stared at her suspiciously. "What? I'm just trying to be friendly!" She gave out a snort.

Jacob smirked. "He's fifteen."

"He's going on a date with Jared's sister, isn't he?" I piped up quickly to try and wipe the glum expression off Mike's face. Inwardly I hoped I had remembered correctly.

"After the bonfire I'm not—" I elbowed Jacob who thankfully clued in after taking a quick look at Mike, "sure it can be avoided," he amended. "Man, they sure hit it off." He rubbed his side, and I bit my lip guiltily.

"Like two peas in a pod," I added for extra effect, winking at Jacob, who gave me a strange look. Oh no. Did he think...? My cheeks flushed with warmth. Where was Tyler when I needed him? Or a cyclone; anything that would take me out before I _really_ put my foot in it.

"I'm happy for them," Jessica offered sweetly.

Jacob averted his eyes from mine to grin at Jessica. "Uh huh."

"Well, if it's all right with you guys," Mike said, as he opened the door for us. Jacob stepped away from me to grab the door, nodding for Mike to go inside. There was a world of difference between them; I noticed now that Jacob wasn't only _much_ taller than him, he could also pass for older. Of course, Mike wasn't very tall to begin with, and had quite the baby face, but the end result was still the same: Jacob was growing _fast_. Either that, or I hadn't seen him clearly. Perhaps it was a mix of both? I should stop analyzing it, I scolded, irritated with myself.

The moment I stepped inside the gym, and laid eyes on the decorations, I stifled back a giggle. The colorful crepe garlands and balloon arches reminded me of a cheesy horror movie, and when I glanced at Jacob who raised an eyebrow at me, I leaned closer.

"Keep an eye out for the creepy guy in a mask who runs around and kills the cheerleaders," I warned him quietly.

Jacob nodded in a gesture for me to look, and I followed his gaze. In the middle of the dance floor were two lone couples, while the rest of my school mates seemed to continuously back up to give them space. "Looks like we've identified the cheerleaders," he said in a low voice.

I instantly recognized the two couples as Jasper and Alice, and Rosalie and Emmet. Like a diligent little student I'd learned all their names now, thanks to Jessica.

Alice wore a black satin dress with large geometric cutouts, while Rosalie's dress, with a plunging neckline, hugged her curves; her back was completely bare. It was the first time I had witnessed them doing something other than sitting around their customary table in the cafeteria. I couldn't keep myself from staring shamelessly. With great effort I tore my eyes away from them and grabbed Jacob's shoulder to pull him down to my level to whisper in his ear.

"It's the vampires," I informed him ominously.

He scoffed softly. "Uh huh, I can see that – but uh, shouldn't they be like, you know, luring us poor humans into dancing with them instead?"

I chuckled darkly under my breath. "It's all a ruse, you see... they'll be picking us off, one by one, when we least expect it. This is the show, they've got to be sneaky, you know?" I gave him a meaningful look.

One corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "I better make sure I keep close then, wouldn't want one of them to sneak you off."

My stomach did a strange little flip, but I tried to ignore it. "What are you going to do? Have you got some Buffy-moves?" I teased.

"Please," he drawled. "I'll just call in the reinforcements – we've got our very own vampire slayers, remember?" He managed to look serious for all of one second before grimacing.

"Oh, right – the wolves," I remembered. "That could be fun, I don't think I've ever seen wolves on a dance floor." I snorted a chortle at the imagery. "All dressed up," I managed before bursting into laughter.

"That was a bad joke, Bells," he said, sounding embarrassed, but I think the fit I was having rubbed off, because soon he was laughing anyway.

I gasped. "I know – but it looks funny in my head." Carefully I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye, hoping I didn't smear any of the makeup.

"Quit your giggling and let's get in line for some food," Jessica ordered impatiently, when she came toward us, and grabbed my hand to pull me along. I nearly tripped, but Jacob caught my arm.

"There goes number one," he joked.

"Ugh." I wasn't able to stop myself this time, and poked my tongue out at him.

"Glad you've got one of those, it'll come in handy when eating," he told me with a smirk on his face. "Wouldn't want you to choke."

"Tongues are good for other things too," Jessica said matter-of-factly, while her eyes drifted between me and Jacob, then she giggled and winked at me.

My face was instantly on fire, and my eyes had found their way to the floor of their own volition. If there was a disaster out there waiting for its opportunity to take my life, then now would be the time.

"Is nothing sacred anymore?" I whispered miserably.

Jacob let out a soft, throaty chuckle. "Sure, sure," he assured me, then, suddenly, I felt warm breath tickling my ear, "not Jessica's tongue though, by the sounds of things," he whispered quietly.

I choked back on a laugh.

Jessica gave out a frustrated snort. "What are you two whispering about?" she demanded.

"Um, nothing – sorry, Jess," I replied as convincingly as I could, but earned myself a suspicious look. Then she smirked.

"Oh! I see," she said suggestively. "Don't let me interfere," she added quickly and turned her back demonstratively, flicking her brown curls. I rolled my eyes.

I could see Jacob shaking his head from the corner of my eye; he was smiling though. In fact, I think he was enjoying this. Great, I thought. Then, as if he sensed my tension, I felt his warm fingers brushing against the top of my hand lightly. When I glanced at him he just shrugged, but continued touching my hand discreetly.

"There you are!"

I turned to find Angela grinning at us. She was even taller now in her stilettos, and her powder blue dress was beautiful – strapless, with a draped bodice and a straight skirt. Over her shoulders she wore a cream white bolero; pinned to it was her corsage – a single blue lily, accentuated by crinkled lace ribbon.

"Wow, Ang. You look so pretty," I told her earnestly.

She practically beamed at me. "Thank you! Oh – hi, Jacob!"

"Hey, Angela," he greeted her.

"Oh. My. Gosh!" Jessica exclaimed. "You _did_ paint your nails! I told you it would look good," she gushed and grabbed Angela's hand to hold it up for inspection.

Jacob leaned in then. "Think I'll go sit down, before you drag me out the back to paint _my_ nails," he whispered teasingly.

I tried not to laugh. "Okay," I said, and he gave my pinky a gentle squeeze before passing behind me.

"Have fun," Jacob said before weaving his way toward the table where Ben and Mike sat talking to Tyler who was looking our way. He flashed me a big smile and I managed a grin in return.

Angela turned her widened eyes on me. "_Bella_," she breathed. "He's so... _handsome_!"

"He _is_!" Jessica let out an impressively restrained squeal.

I tried to hush them. "Be quiet," I hissed under my breath.

Jessica shook her head. "Oh no," she protested. "Admit it. Right now. You know de_nial_ is not only a river in Egypt, right?"

"I didn't deny anything," I retorted quietly, then added, "but um, yes, he _is_... handsome," I admitted, and ignored the violent reaction in my face to confessing my thoughts openly.

"Yes!" Jessica exclaimed. "Finally!"

Angela suppressed a giggle behind her hand.

"Jess," I said and pointed to the empty space at the buffet table and she moved quickly ahead to grab a plate.

Once we had our food, we went over to where the boys were waiting. I was happy to see that Jacob didn't look too uncomfortable, and he got up to join Mike, Ben and Tyler in the queue line when we sat down.

"Where's Lauren?" I asked, assuming Tyler was her date.

Jessica waved her hand while she finished chewing. "Okay, so, this is what I got – Tyler showed up at her house, and her dad answered the door. Apparently she came down with the flu, but I bet it's an excuse. She's peeved with Tyler for asking her at the last minute, thinking he would go with you."

I gave her a confused look. "But I've been saying for almost two months that I was going with Jacob."

"I _know_, right? Well – Tyler's got a crush on you, but it's seriously weird how dense he is." Her tone was dismissive and she went to pop another bite into her mouth when she stopped, her eyes narrowing. She pursed her lips. "Why do they take food if they're not going to eat it?" Angela and I turned to follow Jessica's gaze to find Emmett and Edward Cullen putting food on their plates.

"Maybe they're hungry," Angela pointed out.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Maybe the _buffet_ is good enough for them," she said with a snort.

All three of us stared when Emmett flipped a grape into the air and caught it, too perfectly, in his mouth, before chewing demonstratively at Edward who glared at him.

"Dude, he totally heard me," Jessica said quietly, dazed.

"He did not," Angela scolded.

Jessica insisted. "He's showing off!"

"To Edward," I offered.

Angela chuckled. "He doesn't look too impressed." She was right. Edward seemed irritated more than anything else. It made me wonder if it was his multiple personality disorder rearing its ugly head, or if Emmett had that effect on him.

"Edward looks grumpy a lot of the time," I reminded them. "Trust me – I've been sitting with him in Biology for the past few months."

Emmett went to walk away, but then he paused and glanced in our direction with a wide grin on his face. One of us squeaked when he gave us a wave and winked, before walking off to join his siblings.

"That – was _so_ weird," Jessica whispered.

Angela and I nodded in agreement, then our gazes followed as Edward walked away from the buffet; it looked like he was talking to himself, while scowling at, I guessed, Emmett.

"I think we should stop staring at them now," I said quietly under my breath.

"Oh, I can think of something else you could look at," Jessica suggested and pointed toward the queue line, where Mike, Ben, Tyler and Jacob stood. They were talking about something – Jacob was talking, and explaining something, by the looks of things.

"I bet he'd look good in Speedos." Jessica gave me a wicked grin.

I sputtered, the food in my mouth nearly getting sucked into my lungs, and started coughing.

"Jess," Angela chided, shaking her head, "you're shameless."

"Come on! You can tell he's got a real nice butt under that tux."

"_Jess_," I wheezed, "_why don't you check out Mike's butt instead_?" I could barely whisper after my coughing fit.

"Well – you don't seem that interested in Jacob's, so..." Jessica twirled a curl around her finger thoughtfully. "I mean, if you don't _want_ me to look, because it's yours, then," she shrugged, "I completely understand."

I shook my head, trying to clear my throat. "What _is_ it with you and – butts?"

"They're cute," she replied simply. "Especially Jac—"

"Okay! He's got a cute butt – I _heard_ you the first time!"

"Who's got a cute butt?"

I looked up to see Tyler sit down on my right, and I bit my lip. My face grew hotter while he studied me curiously. I feigned ignorance and popped another fork-full of food into my mouth to discourage him from asking again. And why did he have to sit down next to me? Ugh.

"None of your business," Jessica told him curtly.

Tyler raised a brow. "Hard as it might be for you, Jess, I wasn't talking to you."

"Oh no. What will I do?" She rolled her eyes.

"Man, I think I grabbed too much food," Jacob said, and sat down on my left, grinning at me. I peered down at his plate; there had to be, at least, enough for two people on it.

"Wow." I stifled back a laugh. "Didn't you eat today?" I teased.

Jacob frowned. "I did. But then I saw all that food-" He cut off with a shrug.

"Explains the growth-spurt." Jessica winked at him.

"Uh huh." He actually looked a bit confused, but then he grabbed his fork, and stabbed a few pasta shells, before holding it up ceremoniously. "Let's find out how much of it I can actually eat."

Turned out, more to his surprise than ours, he managed pretty well, even fitting in desert on top of it. I couldn't help glancing at him from time to time, remembering Paul and Jared at the bonfire, and how big they had been. It seemed quite possible, judging from Jacob's appetite, that he'd grow to be just as huge as they were. I already felt very small next to Jacob, and, somehow, the more time I spent around him, the more I realized that he was right – in his case anyhow: age really was just a number.

"Oh!" Jessica exclaimed suddenly, in the middle of our conversation about what we were all up to this summer. "I _love_ this song!" She got up, rounding the table to tug at me and Angela.

"Jess." I shook my head. "I can't dance," I informed her pleadingly.

She ignored my protest and all but dragged me off my chair, while Jacob laughed.

"Practice makes perfect, Bells," he said encouragingly, looking all too happy.

"Ugh – it's not on me if someone gets hurt, then." I let Jessica drag me out on the dance floor, as I glanced around nervously. This was going to be a disaster, and it wouldn't surprise me if I went sprawling and sprained my ankle – not to mention the dirty looks I would get from the people I'd knock over in the process.

Angela and Jessica had no trouble with their coordination, and I just stood there at first, rubbing my arm self-consciously, for a few seconds before they grabbed my hands.

"Bella," Jessica rolled her eyes, "move your feet."

"We've got you," Angela encouraged.

"This is humiliating," I mumbled quietly, more to myself than them, and tried to copy their movements. "I feel like a child."

Jessica let out an exasperated sigh, then shocked me by grabbing my hips. "You're so stiff – loosen these up before _I_ get embarrassed." She tried to make me move in really strange ways and my face was burning as a result. I threw a quick glance at the table where, to my horror, the guys were gesturing toward us and laughing.

"Oh no," I moaned quietly. "Someone kill me," I thought out loud.

Angela giggled. "It's not that bad, Bella – you'll be fine."

I scowled at Jessica. "This isn't Dirty Dancing," I grumbled.

She smirked. "Move, or I'll make Tyler come over here and teach you – he knows how to dance." She winked, and my eyes widened, in what I imagined could be perceived as fear, then she let out one of those evil cackles.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Actually, she would," Angela told me in warning, and I froze briefly, my eyes narrowing.

Jessica quirked her brow challengingly. "You've got three seconds."

"Ugh!" I glanced suspiciously at how Jessica was moving, then bit my lip in determination; there was no way I would dance with Tyler. Absolutely not. Instead I tried to match the beat of the music while following suit as best as I could. Jessica let go of my hips and beamed.

"That's it!"

"I knew you could," Angela said, not quite as obvious in her praise as Jessica, which I was grateful for. A few of our classmates had turned to look at us when Jessica squealed, but I tried to keep my eyes on my friends instead. Then Jessica danced closer and leaned in.

"Jacob's looking a bit flustered," she whispered gleefully, and I tried to be discrete when sneaking a peek at him. Subtlety wasn't a specialty of mine, though, so the moment I met his eyes he looked away, suddenly very interested in what Mike was saying.

"Busted," Jessica gushed. "He's _so_ into you. I mean, it's so obvious!" Her exuberant joy forced my lips into a smile, which I tried to tone down, but it kept growing in spite of myself.

"I bet he can't wait to dance with you," Angela said dreamily.

Jessica grabbed me suddenly, by the arm. "Okay – don't freak out, but Tyler is coming over here."

I choked back on a whimper. "Please," I begged.

"Hey, ladies – mind if I join?" Tyler was grinning widely.

"I have to go to the bathroom," I blurted and escaped, leaving Tyler staring after me with a shocked expression on his face.

"She's had too much lemonade," I heard Jessica explain before the rest of the chatter drowned out Tyler's reply.

On the way to the restrooms I scolded myself for my, no doubt, classy – _not_ – exit. How obvious could I be? I didn't need to be rude in the process, did I? Then again, it was probably better this way. If he had asked me to dance I would have been too much of a coward to say no. Not only might it give Tyler ideas – he was incorrigible, after all – but I had promised Jacob I would give him one dance. For some reason it felt wrong that I would dance with anyone else but him.

Once inside the bathroom I realized I _did_ need to pee. I tried not to laugh, wondering if it had something to do with how scared I'd truly gotten. Even my heart was beating faster. There were a couple of girls from the class above me and I slipped quietly into one of the stalls. The dress made the whole process complicated, and I struggled to gather the skirt as well as I could. I heard the door open and close as the seniors left and flushed the toilet, before moving out to wash my hands.

"Hi!" The light and almost musical voice made me jump, and I accidentally splashed water on myself. The girl laughed, and it reminded me of wind-chimes. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "I didn't mean to startle you."

I glanced at her, instantly recognizing the tiny girl as Alice Cullen.

"Um, hi," I stuttered, taking a look around to make sure she was really talking to me. I blinked. Where had she come from?

"I _love_ prom," she enthused and stepped up to the sink, turning the tap on. "It gives me an excuse to dress up," she continued in her bird-chirp like voice. Of course my brain was trying to figure out why she was talking to me, but I pushed the analytical part back and tried to be friendly.

"It's nice, I guess," I offered lamely. Fabulous, I commended myself sarcastically.

"Your dress is gorgeous," she complimented, "it really complements your complexion..." her words trailed off. I'm not sure what I looked like, but I was pretty certain I was staring. "Sorry – I tend to talk too much. I hope I wasn't being rude."

I shook my head. "Um, no, it's okay," I assured her. "I was just surprised – I um, thought I was alone in here." Great – points to me for vocal brilliance.

"Oh. I have a bad habit of sneaking up on people," she said, and the way she smiled, the secretive kind, made it seem like she had just made a joke that I didn't understand at all. "Sorry, again," she said quickly.

"It's fine, really. My brain is as crippled as my coordination, I'm afraid," I told her in reassurance.

She tilted her head and gave me a thoughtful look, while turning the tap off to dry her hands. "I think you did quite well out there."

I laughed. "Thanks. I got lucky though, which isn't usual for me."

"Luck has nothing to do with it." She winked and turned for the door, but paused before opening it. "It was nice to meet you, Bella," she said, sounding genuinely pleased.

I grinned. "Sure. You too, Alice."

"Ah! You know my name," she almost sang, and her excited expression made me giggle.

"You knew mine," I pointed out.

Alice gave me a conspiratorial look. "The entire town knows your name."

I winced. "Don't remind me."

With another laugh she opened the door. "I'll see you on the dance floor!" Then she was gone. I shuddered. I was most definitely _not_ going back out on that dance floor.

"Sorry, but you won't," I whispered quietly after her, smirking.

When I came back out from the bathroom I scanned the dance floor warily, finding Angela dancing with Ben. She waved at me, then motioned toward the table where Jessica sat next to Jacob; they were talking, and Jacob seemed all too interested in whatever Jessica was telling him. I cringed, and my eyes flashed back to Angela, who gave me a sympathetic look, then mouthed the word 'sorry'. I didn't even want to think what Jessica could possibly have to say to Jacob, but, judging by what I knew about her so far, it could only be embarrassing. There was only one way to proceed, I thought, and started toward them with determination.

I stopped right next to Jacob who looked up at me, smiling brightly. Ugh. I did _not_ want to know, and now I was even more set on carrying out my intervention.

"I'm ready for that dance I promised you," I told him, surprised at how confident I had managed to be. Jessica Stanley was good at that – making me do things to avoid her from humiliating me. Jacob's brows shot up, and he looked both nervous and elated at the same time.

"I think that's a great idea!" Jessica winked at Jacob when he glanced at her. What _had_ they been talking about?

"Uh, okay," he hedged and rose hesitantly. I grabbed his hand and started towing him out on the dance floor, sending Jessica what I hoped was a scornful glare. "In a hurry to eradicate your school buddies?" he asked jokingly.

I had dragged him all the way into the opposite corner, out of Jessica's line of sight, and Jacob chuckled when I stopped to peer behind him.

"Maybe I just felt like dancing?" I told him casually, looking back to his face.

"Uh huh – 'cause you like it so much," he pointed out teasingly, while smiling down at me.

"A girl can change her mind," I replied defensively, "now – um... I don't know what to do," I admitted sheepishly. I hadn't thought this far, obviously, since the main objective had been to get Jacob away from Jessica.

"I think we need to uh, you know, be closer," he said, and I took a hesitant step toward him.

"Um, like this?" I asked, peering up at his face.

"Yeah – that's good... I think. Let's uh," he paused, his hands hovering, like he wasn't sure where to put them. Then he looked at me, as if to ask for permission, while lowering one hand to my waist, the other one taking my hand to cradle it to his chest. "I'm uh, not sure I can do that fancy stuff, so," he paused yet again, the hand on my waist moving around to rest lightly against the arch in my back, "is this okay?"

I swallowed, but nodded. "Um, yes, it's fine," I said quietly. He gave me a wry smile, then began to slowly pull me with him into a circle. We didn't quite match the music, but that didn't seem to matter so much, since I couldn't really hear what was playing – again, my heart was being too loud in my ears, and the warmth of his hand seemed to seep right through the material of my dress. Not to mention the fact that, where his hand held mine close to his heart, I could feel the beats: strong and steady, just like him. In that moment I felt as if I was getting a glimpse of a different part of him, one that I had never even known existed – or considered, more accurately.

Jacob was, in spite of being tall and almost as clumsy as me, very grounded. There was an inner strength in him, and it showed in how he looked after his dad, kept good grades, managed a job and, despite not having much, as far as money and things went, he was genuinely happy. I don't think I'd ever heard him complain about anything. Well, apart from his dad's superstitions – with all that he handled, he was entitled to be a little embarrassed about his dad, I concluded.

"So serious," he teased lightly, bringing me back from my deep contemplation. I lifted my eyes to his, grinning.

"This is serious business," I explained, "I don't want to step on your toes."

"Or theirs," he nodded to the side, and I was finally able to notice that we were in the middle of the dance floor now, surrounded by all the other couples, who moved very differently.

"We're completely out of step," I told him.

Jacob glanced around us for a moment, thoughtful, then turned his eyes back to mine. "With them? Or each other?" He wore that smile again, the one that wasn't obvious, but it was a smile all the same. I knew this, because it made my own lips curl in spite of myself.

"Them," I decided.

"Do you want to try a different version?" he asked.

I bit my lip, wanting to hide from the way he was looking at me, but unable to. So I shook my head, and told him, softer than I'd intended, "No. I – like this one."

"Does that mean I get to dance with you some more?" The hopeful look in his eyes made my stomach do a flip, and I decided that I could do this for a bit longer – I didn't really feel like stopping at all, come to think of it.

"Sure, Jake – as long as you want."

One corner of his mouth tugged upward, and he raised an eyebrow. "How comfortable are those shoes?"

I stifled back a laugh. "Um, well – I can always take them off," I offered sheepishly, "_if_ it comes to that," I added suspiciously.

He squeezed my hand, smiling wider. "In that case, I'm not letting you go anytime soon."

There was no way I would tell him, but his words sent a thrill of joy through me.

I'd never thought I could feel anything but uncomfortable or frightened while dancing; being happy about it, I thought, would never even have entered my mind. It was funny how, with Jacob, I always seemed to be brought face to face with a lot of preconceived misconceptions of mine. It made me wonder what else I would come to find that I liked, that I previously had absolutely detested – like living in Forks, for example. I just hadn't seen it clearly, just like I hadn't seen Jacob clearly. Perhaps I hadn't really seen _myself_, either. At least, not the way I did around Jacob.

One thing was for certain: just like I had found that I liked his hand around mine, or resting my head against his shoulder, being this close to him in this way, I decided, I liked too. Very much. I liked it so much, in fact, that it didn't register until too late that my shoes weren't made for dancing. Well, it was Jacob that noticed when I started tensing up. I'd simply ignored it because I was having too much fun.

"Okay, c'mon, old lady – time for a break."

I snorted. "Breaks are for the weak," I retorted playfully, using his own logic against him, which made him laugh, and he shook his head.

"You've been a brave soldier, but there's no need to show off." He winked.

I sighed. "Okay. So maybe it hurts a little," I confessed and made my face.

"A little, huh?"

"Fine. It hurts a lot." I laughed.

He let me go then, and I couldn't help but notice how I didn't like _this_ feeling. Not at all. But he was quick to take my hand as we made our way back to the table where they all sat now. Jessica had this self-satisfactory smile on her face that made me want to poke my tongue out at _her_.

"Done so soon?" she asked with feigned shock.

"Jacob decided to have mercy on my feet," I told her, winking at Jacob who shook his head again.

"This is coming from someone who hates dancing," he informed Jessica.

She smirked. "Yeah, I could totally tell that she does."

"I never said I hated dancing," I protested, "I just said that I _can't_ dance."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh."

"I think you danced pretty well," Tyler cut in, which made my cheeks prickle. I glanced at him where he sat, grinning at me. I scoffed.

"Thanks, but I think you need to get your eyes checked."

Tyler laughed. "Nah. My eyes are fine," he said and winked.

Mike started coughing, making us all look at him.

"You okay, man?" Tyler asked him.

He cleared his throat, straightening his bow tie. "Yeah – sucker got away from me, that's all."

Jessica and Angela exchanged a glance, while I smirked, then I glanced up at Jacob who was scrutinizing Tyler. Uh oh. Had he caught that?

"I'm going to get a drink," Jacob turned to me, "want me to get you one?"

"Sure. Thanks, Jake." I sat down in my seat and watched after him as he left, then I turned back to look at Tyler, whose eyes were on me again.

"So I guess, since your feet are tired, that I don't get a dance?"

I sputtered in spite of myself. "Um..."

"You're so stupid, Tyler," Jessica threw at him, exasperated. "That obvious, is it?"

He shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for asking – since when was that a crime?"

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Oh, let's see... since about the same time someone could be so dense?"

"Jess," I said quietly, "it's okay."

Her eyes snapped to mine. "Yeah? You want to dance with Mr. Casanova, do you?"

I cringed and glanced at Tyler quickly who looked at Jessica with mild irritation, and then turned back to me. I'd been a coward long enough, and I was out of excuses – if he were to understand then I had to say it straight. But I didn't think I could do that to him in front of all our friends, which meant I _had_ to dance with him. "Um, I think if I took my shoes off that I _might_ manage..."

Tyler grinned and stood up. "I haven't stepped on a girl's feet yet, and I'm not about to start, so you'll be fine."

I offered him a smile and pushed my chair out while toeing my heels off. Why didn't I take them off _before_ I started dancing? Jessica was just gaping at me in disbelief and I shot her a warning stare before getting up to take Tyler's offered arm. I let him escort me out on the dance floor while I walked on my tiptoes to avoid tripping on my dress.

When we reached the middle of the floor he took my hand, and next thing I knew he had spun me, and suddenly his other arm was around me, keeping me steady while I regained my balance. I couldn't keep the laugh in.

"We're going to have to work on your balance," he said, grinning.

"Sorry, it's set in my DNA – there's nothing you can do about it," I told him apologetically.

He smiled a wide smile. "Oh but you're wrong," he said and started moving in sync with the music. "Firstly – stop thinking," he instructed, having no trouble keeping me upright even if I kept stumbling, but he seemed to ignore it completely. "Just feel – everything has a rhythm: walking, talking, running," suddenly he dipped me, and I suppressed a gasp, "even falling," he said, winking.

"Um, how can falling have a rhythm?" I asked skeptically, clinging to his arm, and he straightened up before continuing to move us around the floor.

"It only takes so many beats before reflex takes over," he said simply, "but if you're too busy _thinking_ you can't do something, then you won't do it. Unlike now," he finished, grinning at me widely.

"Huh?"

"You're dancing," he stated.

I blinked, dumbfounded, but he was right. Somehow I was managing to keep up with him – not very gracefully, as it were, but I was dancing all the same.

"But... I can't dance," I insisted stubbornly, feeling confused.

"I _can_, and – I also know how to talk, which stopped you from thinking, didn't it?"

I opened my mouth, but closed it just as quickly.

"I saw you dancing with Jacob, and you weren't really thinking about dancing then, were you?"

Jacob. Oh! I blushed.

"Um, no," I answered lamely, and tried to scramble through my brain for a way to tell Tyler what I'd planned to tell him. "How come you know so much about dancing?" I asked instead, chickening out.

"Mom's into Latino dancing – she teaches classes in Port Angeles, so I just grew up with it. I like sports more though," he finished with a sheepish grin.

"Oh. I guess that explains things."

"I'd be happy to teach you sometime," he offered in a low voice, and I looked away, embarrassed by his intense gaze. It was now or never; this had to stop.

"Um, Tyler," I began, peering back at his face to make sure that look was gone. Confident I could keep eye contact, I continued. "I'm really flattered, but I'm sort of with Jacob, I mean, it's all new, and perhaps there's no way to define it yet, but I like him. I do want to be your friend though, if that's okay?" I bit my lip, forcing myself not to look away from the disappointment in his face. But then one corner pulled up into a crooked sort of smile.

"Well, I'll be damned. Okay. Yeah. No. That's cool, we're cool. Thanks for dancing with me though – you've got potential," he said and winked.

Inwardly I let out a huge sigh of relief, then I grinned. "We can always dance until the end of the song – i-if that's okay with you?"

Tyler laughed, then he sighed. "I knew the dance moves would work," he said wistfully, but nodded. "A'ight, chica, 'til the end of the song it is."

I held back a laugh. I certainly had never been called 'chica' before.

Jessica made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat when Tyler and I finally returned to the table, and I rolled my eyes at her, then glanced at Jacob. He was smiling at me, but something made him uncomfortable. I didn't get a chance to ask since he cut in before I could open my mouth.

"I'm starting to believe the whole 'I can't dance' thing is just a big scam, Bells," he teased.

I sniffed. "Maybe one of my left feet finally realizes it's a right one?"

Jacob laughed. "Sure, sure. You say that _now_." He winked.

My hand connected lightly with his shoulder when I smacked him, and he grinned broadly. Again I noticed that something was off about him, however subtle it was.

"Jake – are you okay?" I asked.

"Uh, well – either it's all the food, or all that dancing, but man, it's hot in here."

"Take the jacket off," Mike suggested, tugging his own, which hung off the back of his chair. "They aren't exactly designed for practicality."

"Tell me about it," Jacob agreed, but looked grateful for the cue, and quickly worked the jacket off to sling it over the back of his chair. He sat down with a sigh of relief and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Too much dancing, Mr. Black?"

"Uh – I'm pleading the fifth." He laughed when I frowned at him. "Aw, c'mon, Bells – don't do that."

Jessica snickered. "You shouldn't have made her enjoy dancing so much, Jacob," she told him meaningfully.

He shrugged. "I think both Tyler and I are to blame," Jacob pointed out.

Angela giggled while Jessica just rolled her eyes.

"Why can't I change my mind about dancing?" I asked defensively.

"Was it really dancing you liked, or was it Jacob?" Jessica quirked her brow again, in that suggestive manner of hers, which sent burning heat into my cheeks. I sent her a hard glare.

"I liked dancing with both, they didn't exactly blackmail me into doing something," I replied as earnestly as I could, "unlike some people I know," I added pointedly, my eyes still on Jessica's.

Jacob, who'd been struggling with the buttons to the sleeves of his shirt, sputtered a laugh.

Jessica huffed. "Seriously – some need a push in the right direction... _just_ like some people I know," she retorted, leveling me with a challenging smile.

This time, Jacob was the one who coughed, but when he didn't stop I realized that he'd just taken a sip of his drink and it had probably gone down the wrong way. I got up quickly to rub his back.

"Jake? Are you okay?" I asked in a worried voice.

"Yeah," he breathed, shaking his head, and I stared at him confused.

"Are you sure?"

"Bells," he managed after another coughing fit, "I'm good, I'm okay."

I gave out a little indignant huff but sat back down. "Sorry," I mumbled, "it's not the first time – you should be careful when you drink," I added teasingly, and he glanced at me with a smirk on his face.

"At least it didn't go up my nose this time," he told me smugly, and I laughed, then I rolled my eyes when he continued trying to get the button undone on his sleeve.

"Need help, old man?" I reached out to help him, making short work of the button. "Give me the other one," I instructed and he held out his other wrist for me.

"I feel more like a kid now," he said, peering at my face, and I shook my head, unbuttoning his sleeve. "Thanks." He grinned, then shoved the sleeves as far up his arms as he could. "Oh yeah, that's the stuff," he sighed and leaned back.

I think all of us burst out laughing.

"What?" Jacob had this half embarrassed look on his face, and I covered my mouth, trying to hold back the laugh. "It's _hot_," he said defensively.

"We believe you, man," Mike offered sympathetically.

"Thanks," he said, then he glanced at me, and rolled his eyes as I still held my hand tightly over my mouth. "Yeah, yeah – go ahead, Bells," he said, smirking, and peeled my hand away from my mouth. I bit my tongue, until I realized that he wasn't letting go of my hand. Instead he lowered it, while linking his fingers with mine, letting both our hands come to rest in my lap.

Someone suppressed a squeal, and I was absolutely certain I knew who it was, but I wasn't going to look to find out. Jacob's eyes wouldn't let mine go, and I swallowed, feeling the warmth from his hand crawl all the way up through my arm to my face, before spreading through my entire being. I could feel my heart beating, hard, and it made me wonder how my chest was able to contain it.

"Going to get a drink, do you want one?" someone said.

"I'll come with you," Angela said.

Finally Jacob released me from his gaze and I was able to look up, just in time to watch Angela and Ben walk off to get a drink.

"Want to dance?" Jessica asked, leaning over to peck Mike's cheek, causing his ears to turn pink.

"I'm all danced out, Jess," he mumbled apologetically.

"Spoilsport." She scowled at him.

"Can't we get out of here? I've had enough of prom," Mike said, looking guilty as he glanced at Jessica warily.

"Aw, poor Mike," she said, pinching his cheek, making his lips pucker into a grimace. Then she turned to me and Jacob. "Do you want to leave?"

I looked at Jacob who shrugged, then I nodded at Jessica. "Sure. I have to agree with Mike; I've had enough of prom, too." I grinned at Mike who looked relieved, and he smiled back.

Jessica sighed. "Fine."

While we waited for Angela and Ben so we could say our 'goodbyes', I slipped my heels back on. Once back, they told us they would stay a bit longer, but Tyler joined us as we walked for the exit. Jacob shook his head at my funny walk, due to the shoes hurting my feet so much, and I cracked a smile.

"Hey – at least the population of Forks High get to see another prom," I joked lightly, and he laughed.

"I still think you were just making up excuses, Bells." He winked as he said this, and I just let him have it. I wasn't going to argue; I'd had way too much fun to try and convince him differently.

We said goodnight to Tyler in the parking lot, who said he was going to go see Lauren first thing tomorrow, then he winked at me, and I smiled back.

By the time we arrived back at Charlie's house it was past ten, and I wondered if my dad was still up. The porch light had been left on, but I couldn't see the telltale blue flickering from the living room window to suggest the TV was on. Either he had gone to bed already, or he was at the station. I hoped it wasn't a case of the latter, he really needed a break from the case about the person who was still missing and the girl who'd turned up a week ago.

Jacob followed closely behind me as I walked up to the door – it was locked. Charlie was most definitely not up and about then. I said a silent prayer that he had, for once, just gone to bed early, and fished out my key to unlock. After I pulled the door open I turned to Jacob.

"Come on then," I said, and he paused just briefly before walking past me.

Once inside the house I peeled off my heels and let out a loud sigh of relief. I wasn't going to be wearing those again anytime soon. Jacob chuckled at me quietly, pulling his own jacket off and hung it up on a coat hanger.

"I'm going to go upstairs and get out of this dress," I told him and gathered the skirt in my hands, before all but bounding up the stairs. Of course I nearly tripped, and I could hear Jacob's laugh from downstairs before I closed the door to my room.

I leaned my back against the door for a moment, taking a few deep breaths, before I pushed away and started to carefully untie the corsage. It took some effort, but when I had it off my wrist I pinned it to the message board above my desk.

Fifteen minutes later I had my favorite sweats and a tee on, making my way down into the living room where Jacob sat on sofa with his head on the backrest, eyes closed. He'd changed into a pair of sweats too and a light colored tee. I stifled back a giggle at the sight of him – he looked thoroughly defeated. Then he smiled – at least he hadn't fallen asleep. That's when I noticed that Charlie had set up the air-mattress, and made it too. I smiled to myself.

"Come here, Bells." Jacob patted the seat next to him, and I went to take a seat, pulling my feet up to tuck them beneath me.

"Did I wear you out with all that dancing?" I suddenly asked guiltily, when he remained leaned back, with his eyes still closed.

"Nah, I'm good," he told me reassuringly.

I turned toward him, then reached up to untie the ribbon from his hair, also removing the rubber band that held it together. Suddenly Jacob's hands caught mine, and he plucked the hair tie and ribbon from me and placed them on the coffee table. I met his dark eyes, and he had an unfamiliar expression on his face. "So uh," he began, and I tried to decipher all the different expressions that flashed across his face, the only one I recognized didn't make any sense. He looked almost embarrassed, but his hands around mine suggested no insecurities, then he expelled a frustrated sigh and released one hand. "Can I uh – geez, okay," he paused and lifted his arm in an awkward gesture, and I wasn't sure what he meant, "I kind of want to uh, put my arm around you," he mumbled quietly.

"Oh," I exhaled, and scooted closer, leaning into his side. Jacob took a deep breath, then sighed as his arm came around my shoulders, his hand squeezing my upper arm ever so lightly. "Sorry, I'm a bit slow," I offered unhappily.

He breathed out a laugh. "And I'm an idiot – what a pair, huh?"

"At least it never gets dull," I mused and poked his side, making him squirm. I raised an eyebrow and peered up at his face. "Ticklish?" I asked playfully.

"Uh, kind of," he hedged, giving me a suspicious look.

"Huh." Quickly, before he could realize, I applied a little bit more pressure with my fingertips into his side, and he nearly jumped away from me. But I didn't relent, instead sitting up slightly to let my other hand come into play as I attacked his side.

"What are you – hey!" He tensed up and sucked back a chortle, then tried to capture my arms, but I ducked away, laughing. "Aw, man – Bella! Please!"

"Nuh uh!" I choked back a giggle, getting in a tickle here and there between his attempts to get a hold of me. "I'm getting you back for the elbow pit!" I managed between laughs.

Jacob tried to ward me off, wrapping his arms around himself while wriggling around on the sofa like a fish out of water, which made me burst into a fit.

"Oh yeah? You think that's funny, do you?" he accused breathlessly.

"You're flopping around like fish!" I exclaimed, laughing.

Jacob's hands finally caught my wrists, and he flashed me a triumphant smile. "So what were you saying about elbow pits?" he said mischievously, raising an eyebrow.

"Um." I bit my lip, my heart beating hard in my chest and feeling slightly breathless. I could see from his eyes that I was in trouble now, and I wondered how to get myself out of it. "Nothing," I squeaked finally.

He smirked. "Yeah?" With both my wrists locked in one of his hands – even his hands seemed to get bigger, I noted, suddenly sidetracked – his fingertips skimmed up my arm, then brushed across the sensitive skin in the crease of my elbow.

"Jake!" I yelped, and tried to pull back, but he was so much stronger than me.

"No way!" He laughed.

Instead I did my best at curling into a ball, bowing my head down, which made Jacob laugh even more. "Please!" I breathed.

"Beg," he demanded, chortling.

"I did!" I gasped for air. "Please, Jake – _please_!"

"If you promise to not tickle me," he bargained humorously.

"I promise!" And instantly he let me go, but his hands were in my hair then, trying to find my face. I peeked up at him warily, finding him smiling at me hugely. My face felt flushed, and I was trying to calm my breathing.

"You okay?" he asked, still smiling.

I nodded. "Yes," I replied shakily, letting out a light laugh. "Just trying to get oxygen," I informed him in a warning, in case he was going to retaliate. But he just continued to brush the hair back from my face, repeatedly tucking it behind my ears, and making a face when it wouldn't stay.

"Geez – what'd you do to your hair?" It sounded like he was accusing me of a crime.

"Angela," I corrected, while straightening up, until I sat on my knees.

"And this?" he asked, and reached out to gently touch the outer edge of my eyelid. Then he withdrew his hand to look at his fingertip, before brushing it off on his sweats with a sheepish look on his face.

"Jessica." I rolled my eyes. "She's used to getting her way."

Jacob got this knowing look on his face and chuckled. "Yeah, that's obvious – she's kind of cool though."

"Except when she makes fun of people," I said in an unimpressed tone of voice.

"Tyler, you mean?"

I nodded, peering at him searchingly. "Yeah..." I wondered what he'd thought when he'd come back to the table to find me dancing with Tyler. He hadn't mentioned it, but for some reason I felt I needed to explain myself. "Um, about Tyler," I began hesitantly, "I want to explain why I um, was dancing with him."

Jacob smiled. "It's okay, Bells – Jess told me while you were uh, dancing – speaking of which," he paused and got up, holding his hand out to me, then rolled his eyes when I didn't take it straight away, "back to that, huh?"

I placed my hand in his quickly and let him pull me up. "Sorry," I apologized. "I'm being slow again."

He shook his head, smiling, and walked around the coffee table before pulling me close to slip his arm around me, like he had earlier at prom. "I haven't pushed my luck lately," he explained matter-of-factly, which made me laugh. Then his smile softened as he brought our hands to his chest, only this time I could feel the warmth through his tee. "I know you only promised me one dance, but then you said 'as long as you want', and you didn't really make it clear in what way you meant it, so uh – call me an optimist, but I'm counting it as indefinitely."

I could only smile. "That's fine by me, Jake."

For the second time today he pulled me into a circle, but a much smaller one this time, and much, _much_ slower. There was no music this time, not that we had paid it any mind at prom. We had our own rhythm it seemed, which reminded me of what Tyler had said. When I had danced with him, it had been me following _him_, _his_ rhythm, but with Jacob it was entirely different. As he had made me see at prom, while we were out of step with everyone else, we were in perfect sync with each other. It was just us.

"Figuring out the meaning of life, Bells?" Jacob asked, breaking through my reverie.

"Um – close." I grinned up at him.

"And what's your theory?"

"I'll get back to you on that," I promised.

I noticed only now how close to him I was, not even one inch between us, and every now and then my feet would touch his. Not only that, my free hand rested against his upper arm, nothing in between. His skin was so incredibly warm and soft, and I moved my hand up a little bit further, feeling the texture beneath my palm. It was a subtle movement, but suddenly I felt the goosebumps and my gaze fell upon his skin as I traced it gently with my fingertips.

"Are you cold?" I asked, glancing up at his face.

Jacob shook his head slightly. "Nah. It uh, just felt nice."

"Oh." I smiled, and continued running my fingers absentmindedly over his arm, while we spun slowly in the small space between Charlie's flatscreen and the coffee table.

Between Jacob's arm around me, and the steady beat of his heart under my hand, I found myself wondering what it would feel like to be closer. Whether my curiosity had subconsciously moved me, or if it was Jacob, I don't know, but soon that last tiny gap between us no longer existed. I had never been this close to anyone, not in this way at least, and feeling the warmth from his body seeping through our clothes, assaulted my stomach with a billion tiny butterflies. A blush crept into my cheeks and I focused on trying to keep my hands from trembling, but as so often with Jacob, he seemed to sense things. I nearly protested when his arm loosened around me, but then he took my hand – definitely shaky now – that had been stroking his skin to place it on his chest. He released my other to carefully wrap both his arms around me.

"Is this okay?" he asked quietly, his voice huskier than usual.

Nervous as I was, my brain couldn't help but slip a joke through my lips. "Is this part of the luck-pushing?" I said jokingly in a muted voice, happy at least _it_ was steady.

Jacob's soft chuckle could be felt through his chest. "Sure, sure. I figured I may as well sneak in a hug or two."

I tilted my head hesitantly to look up at his face, which was closer than usual, and his hair was hanging into his face, a few strands reaching down to tickle my cheeks. It would have been impossible to stop myself, and as Jacob so often teased me for, I'd take any excuse to touch his hair. So I reached up to tuck the loose strands behind his ear. One corner of his mouth lifted, and he shook his head at me.

"There she goes again," he whispered teasingly.

I ignored it this time, and instead tried to muster the most serious look I could. "If you _ever_ cut your hair, I will," I paused, not sure what punishment would be suitable, but then that sunny smile of his broke out on his face and I completely lost my train of thought.

"You'll... what?" One of his brows arched questioningly.

"Um..." I swallowed, and unscrambled my brain. "I'll force you to wear a dress until you grow it out again!" I said triumphantly, beaming.

Jacob burst out laughing, his entire body shaking, and I along with it.

"I'm serious – I _own_ you!"

"Aw, man, Bells. You're... I don't know – just _you_," he finished, shaking his head.

"Of course I'm me," I professed, grinning.

"Yeah," he breathed, his arms tightening around me, "and I – uh..." He didn't continue. Instead he just shook his head, smiling.

"Why do you _do_ that?" I blurted, instantly chewing my lip, wondering where my filter was.

Jacob blinked. "Uh – huh?"

"Sorry, I'm missing my word filter," I apologized sheepishly.

"Don't you need to have had one to begin with – uh, to miss it I mean?" He shrank back slightly, anticipating the oncoming smack, which landed on his chest.

"Hey!" I pouted.

He chuckled. "Sorry, Bells," he released me to hold his hands up, "I love it that you don't have one – honest." He put one hand over his heart.

"Sure you do," I said, sniffing indignantly.

"Promise. It's just one of the things that makes you – well uh, _you_."

I rolled my eyes. "You're a bully, Jacob," I accused, and he scoffed.

"So are you – you keep hitting me," he said, feigning a pout.

"Ugh."

When I didn't say anything else, he slipped his arms around me again, and held me closer than before. "Are you mad now?" he asked, sounding just a little worried.

I sighed. "No, Jake – I can't be mad at you."

Jacob breathed out, and he looked relieved. "Good." Then, out of the blue, he leaned down and touched his lips lightly to my hairline. Warm and soft they lingered there, for what felt like an eternity, even if, in reality, only a second or two passed.

_Oh._

My heart stuttered in my chest – _this_ was _very_ nice.

I felt myself lean into him, as my lids fluttered closed, and all I knew was that I didn't want this moment to end.

"I should have done that earlier," he whispered in awe, his lips moving against my hair, "but I was afraid you wouldn't let me."

With my eyes still closed I asked quietly, "What made you change your mind?"

I felt him shrug. "I didn't – I uh, just couldn't stop myself this time." One hand moved up my back to touch my hair tentatively, and I leaned in to place my cheek against his chest. I listened, completely taken, to the steady beats of his heart while his hand, slow and gentle, stroked my hair. When his cheek came to rest against the top of my head I felt him take a deep breath before he expelled it. "I'm going to sound so lame now, so uh, sorry 'bout that but," this time I really did hear him swallow, before he whispered, barely audibly, "do you mind if I keep you?"

An immense warmth exploded in my chest, and for a moment I wondered if the entire world around us was somehow tilting, or if it was just my poor sense of balance – my knees did feel strangely weak, after all. But in the end it didn't really matter, and my reply came as naturally as everything else when I was with Jacob.

"I don't mind – just as long as I get to keep you too."

**o~*iii*~o**


	12. They Say Hindsight is 2020

_**Disclaimer****: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**_

* * *

**o~*iii*~o**

**They Say Hindsight is 20/20**

JACOB BLACK

I threw back the covers and sat up, my brain still fuzzy with sleep, and I yawned while rubbing my legs. It hadn't been this bad for weeks. When it started, a few months ago, I'd looked it up one day at the library, and while I was pretty sure I had these growing pains, as they were called, they shouldn't be hitting me now. I shouldn't be growing this fast either, but I was.

Usually it was only a crawling sensation, nothing major; if anything it was just annoying. Then, a few months ago, not long after I'd seen Bella again, I'd woken up with near-tears in my eyes because of the throbbing ache. At first I thought I'd pulled a muscle, but since I hadn't exerted myself in any way it didn't make any sense. I'd gotten out of bed and started walking around the house, rubbing my legs frantically, and that's when I'd realized that my actual bones were hurting. Luckily I hadn't had it that bad again – it had been pure hell, and sleep had been a lost cause. Not that I didn't have trouble sleeping from time to time still. Like now.

"Damn it," I whispered into the dark.

I dragged myself out of bed and pulled a pair of shorts on before walking stiffly down the hallway, continuously flexing my legs. This was ridiculous. Why did it have to happen during the night? Oh yeah – because the brain isn't focusing on all the other things you need it for, idiot, I told myself. Stupid hormones, or whatever it was.

With a bottle of water from the fridge and with sneakers on my feet I decided on the only thing I'd figured out helped: running. So, off I went again, jogging down the beach in the middle of the night. At least it was summer – this could be even more inconvenient in winter. I hoped it would be over by then. I had to stop growing at some point, or I'd end up a giant. As if I wasn't one already, at least next to Bella.

Now there was something to take my mind off the crawling in my legs: my girl. It was going to take some getting used to, thinking of her like that. Not that I minded the way my chest felt whenever I thought about it. It felt good. _So_ good. She didn't mind it when I called her that, either. Which _also_ was hard to believe sometimes. I must be, hands down, the luckiest guy on the planet.

It was mid July, and Bella was due to come back from Jacksonville this afternoon. She'd been gone for two and a half weeks, and I missed her so much I thought I was going to break. Naturally she called me every day, and hearing her voice was the best thing in my day – Quil and Embry gave me so much crap for it, but I didn't care. They were just jealous of Bella snagging all of my time – or my attention, was maybe more correct.

Ever since school let out, she'd been down here most days out of the week. Mostly we hung out with Quil and Embry – they couldn't complain, not really: Bella liked them, which was really cool. And now I had an extra pair of eyes ogling me while I worked on the Rabbit. This pair of eyes didn't always get the tools right that I asked for, but it was okay. She really tried to learn all that stuff, and not because she was trying to impress me, but because she was genuinely interested. We actually had a 'date' planned – I was going to teach her how to change a tire. We didn't really go on actual dates, the closest thing we'd had was prom.

That brought another thing to mind – the hot flashes, like the ones I'd had at Bella's prom. Those were a mystery to me still, and not for lack of trying to figure them out. At first I'd wondered if it had something to do with me being nervous around Bella – now that would give a whole new definition to 'having the hots for someone' – but then it happened again a few weeks later. I'd been in my garage with Quil and Embry. Now, Embry wasn't usually the one to help me with the heavier things – Quil was the one into lifting weights – but he'd been closest, and to prevent an accident that could have ended badly, Embry had jumped in. While he and I had been struggling with the engine it had hit me, like a flash. I only wore shorts and a tee, and it wasn't even a hot day, but I'd been burning either way. Unless, suddenly, I had the hots for Embry, I had to rule out that theory. After that I had remembered to check it out at the library, and I'd gone there with Bella, who wanted to borrow a new book anyway. Luckily I had been alone by the computer, or so I'd thought. The first thing that had popped up among the search results was menopause, and the hot flash I got in that moment had nothing to do with my previous ones. As if sitting in front of a computer and blushing wasn't bad enough, a few girls – probably seniors – had walked passed me in that _exact_ moment. Their giggles made me give up and I'd made a beeline for the exit. Yeah, I'd laugh, too, if I saw a fifteen year old guy googling about menopause. If I never went back to that library it would be too soon.

When I came back from my run the sky was turning gray, the sun was on its way up, and I was way too wound up to go back to sleep. It was still early, but I opted for breakfast anyway. I was relieved that the restlessness in my legs was gone, and hoped that it would stay gone.

"What are you doing up so early, Jacob?"

I just about jumped out of my chair. "Geez, dad – mornin' to you, too."

"It's just passed four," he pointed out, while I popped a spoonful of cereal into my mouth, chewing it while watching him wheel up to the table.

"I couldn't sleep," I mumbled through the cereal.

Dad scrutinized me, then his expression changed and he looked like the cat who just ate the canary. "Ah – Bella's coming back today, isn't she," he said finally. It wasn't a question.

I answered anyway. "Yep." It wasn't the reason I woke up, but he didn't need to worry about me, he seemed to have enough on his mind these days. I bet it had something to do with Sam Uley and his stupid gang.

One week before school finished up for the summer, we overheard Jared at lunch, mouthing off about Paul and what a douche he was. Apparently they didn't hang out anymore. Quil, Embry and I thought that Jared had finally just ditched him, but then we saw Paul with Sam Uley, and a few weeks after that Jared started hanging out with them too. They even had a name for themselves, which was embarrassing: the protectors. I didn't understand what their deal was – they just pranced around, flexing their muscles, and looked pissed off half the time. What were they supposed to protect from? The kids that once in a blue moon shoplifted? Or the tourists that tried to take home a piece of driftwood as a souvenir? They could at least put some freaking clothes on, Quil had pointed out. Yeah – we always found something new to mock Sam and his crew about behind their backs.

After breakfast, I pulled a shirt on and settled in with the Rabbit. I'd worked a bit extra at the store while Bella was gone, but today was my day off, and sooner or later Quil and Embry would show up to lay into me about being anti-social. They would also be happy about Bella coming back, because it meant I would be in a better mood. I didn't mean to sulk about it, and it was pretty dumb, but I just couldn't help it. I loved this girl. It hadn't taken me long to fall, and it had definitely not been soft landing either. I was just a kid still, but I knew this love wasn't the kind I'd recover from if I ever lost it.

I didn't need experience to tell me how much it was worth. My bones did.

I had never been in love before; I hadn't even liked anyone. To me, girls were pretty, and that had been pretty much it. Of course, I _had_ kissed one – that was a weird experience – it never really worked out either. Jen was her name, short for Jennfier, and we hung out a few times, and then I just kissed her one afternoon, while watching some dumb TV show. Not because I'd been dying to do it, but more because it just felt like something I was supposed to do. It had been sort of warm, and sticky, because she'd had some incredibly fruity-smelling stuff on her lips. It had lasted a few seconds – my mouth on hers, none of that face-sucking you see the seniors getting stuck into at lunch – and when it was over we went back to watching TV, like nothing ever happened. I hadn't even been disappointed. In my mind that was telling me something. I'd sworn I wouldn't try it again until I felt like it, until I _wanted_ to.

Now I kind of wanted to – I felt like it. There was only one problem: it would suck if Bella rejected it. I don't think I could handle that. So now I spent a lot of time fighting that little oath of mine, since wanting and feeling had created new problems. But there was something else I kept squashing: I'd nearly slipped up once, after prom, in Bella's living room. I'd been so close to blurting out that I loved her, and if a rejected kiss would mess me up, I was pretty sure wearing my heart on my sleeve would crack me. I could see what a miserable sucker I would be to have around if I didn't take it easy, kissed her at the wrong moment, and screwed up. There was only one catch though: my heart was kind of stronger than my head, and ever since that moment I'd shared with Bella after prom, it was a huge effort to hold back. I had wanted to, so badly, but – oh man, it was so hard to think about it and tell myself 'not yet, Jake, you'll mess up'.

And then she smelled so good. Her hair, mostly. Sweet and soft – strawberries and something else. What more – having her close enough to hug her did weird things to all of me. My heart freaked out every single time; not in a bad way, but it sort of took off a bit. Then there was that very strange thing that happened in my stomach – like there was an invasion, like the clone wars. Maybe not, that would be painful, and it definitely didn't hurt. Fireflies! Buzzing around and doing their thing. Yeah. That was a better comparison, that would explain the warmth too. Man, was I glad that I didn't blurt things out – Quil and Embry would laugh their asses off at me.

Then a chorus broke out.

"Love is in the air-"

"-everywhere I look around."

"Love is in the air, in every sight and every sound!"

I closed my eyes and shook my head. Speak of the devil and he shall appear. "Quit snooping around in your moms' CD collections – geez."

"Aw, Jakey, don't stop now!" Quil wailed in a high pitch voice.

Embry tuned in too. "That's right, give us that dreamy and sweet face of yours, it's _so_ pretty!"

I pushed back from the Rabbit and bounced the wrench in my palm. "Come here and I'll make you pretty, Call."

"You're making Quil jealous," Embry warned, winking.

"Duh." I smacked my forehead. "Go make out, and come back when you're over it."

Embry grinned. "Oho! Burn!"

Quil tossed a crate over and plopped down, doing a drum-roll on its side. "Seriously, Black – you're losin' it. Is she coming back already or how long do we have to put up with your sorry ass."

"She better not come back right now or she'll turn around and run for the hills," Embry said laughing. "Look at you."

"What!" I snapped defensively.

"Yeah, Black, he's got a point – you look like crap. Do you sleep at all?"

"Oh." I sighed. "It's my legs again," I clarified with a shrug.

"Still? Have you told your dad about it?" Quil asked.

"Nah. It's nothing I can't handle."

Embry shifted slightly, then shoved his hands in his pockets. "I eh, kind of am having the same problems," he confessed.

Quil and I looked at him.

"Seriously?"

"Bro, that sucks," Quil said, kicking the other crate to Embry, who sank down.

"Yeah," he sighed.

I scrutinized him. "How tall are you now, Emb?"

He shrugged. "Six something."

Quil let out a snort. "Man, I'm only five eleven – freaking beanpoles," he accused sullenly.

"You should be happy, you don't want this pain in your legs," I told him.

"Or the creepy crawlies," Embry added.

"No pain, no gain," Quil stated casually.

"Speaking of pain – I'm broke," Embry declared, but he didn't look too sad about it – ah.

"You got it?" I asked.

Quil jumped up. "Show me!"

Embry smirked, then pulled the license out of his pocket and fanned himself with it. "Yup."

I high-fived him. "Swe-et!"

Quil snatched it from Embry's hand. "Yoink!"

"Hey! Give it back!"

"If you let me ride your bike," Quil bargained. "Why didn't you ride it here if you've got your license?" he added suspiciously.

"Because I'm not a show off – like you," he taunted.

Quil fanned himself with the license demonstratively. "Oh yeah, Call? How's this lookin'?"

He rolled his eyes. "Riding my bike here would've ruined the element of surprise," he said and grinned.

"You're a girl," Quil told him, disgusted, and shoved the license back at him. "I would've ripped up the driveway."

I laughed. "Yeah – and you would've ass-planted in the process."

Quil came at me but I ducked away from him with a mocking laugh. "You're both sissies," he accused.

Embry scoffed. "You're just jealous – I've got my license, Jake's got a girl – what you got, Quil?"

Next thing I knew Quil had Embry on the ground and they thrashed around, trying to fight for the upper hand.

"I've got you on the floor, that's what I got, Call," Quil said arrogantly, finally having Embry pinned down, one arm twisted around his back.

"Ow – geez, man. Let go!"

Quil climbed off Embry and dusted himself off before holding his hand out. "You asked, and I answered," he stated simply.

"Yeah, whatever." Embry let Quil pull him up.

"Jacob!" I heard my dad yell from up the house.

"Just a minute," I said and wiped my hands on a rag before running outside.

Dad was in the doorway, he didn't look happy at all. In fact, he looked... a bit scared, which made no sense. I don't know why my stomach lurched, but it did.

"What?"

"Bella called, she's stuck up on the one-ten – flat tire – Jake!"

My girl was back – with a flat tire!

"Bye, dad!" I threw over my shoulder, already on my way back to the garage. I stopped in the mouth of it. "Emb, you're taking me for a drive," I told him, and his brows shot up.

"Why?"

"Bella's got a flat, she's stuck on the one-ten – is your car filled up?"

"Jacob Ephraim Black!" came my dad's voice behind me, all loud and serious.

I rolled my eyes at Embry and Quil, then turned. "What, dad?"

"You're not going up there alone – let me call someone to give you a ride."

"Geez." I knew exactly what he was going on about now. He needed to stop it; it was ridiculous.

"I'm serious Jacob, now don't you give me any trouble, son." He turned the wheelchair, leveling me with a stern look before wheeling himself back to the house.

"Let's go get your car," I told Embry quietly.

"Jake, man – don't piss your dad off," Embry advised.

I turned on him. "Do you know who he's going to call? Uley, that's who. I am _not_ sitting in a car with that jerk."

"Why Uley?" Quil asked, confused.

"Because he's a protector!" I mimicked sarcastically. "Their little golden errand boy."

Embry laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure he's taking Bella's klutziness a bit far now. She's not _that_ bad," he joked.

I smacked the back of his head.

"Ow!"

"Didn't hurt."

"Did too!"

I sighed. "Sorry – can we split before I won't have a choice?"

Embry shrugged but walked passed me. "Let's go then."

"I'll just hang out here 'til you get back then," Quil called after us.

We ran the whole way to Embry's place, taking a few shortcuts to avoid being seen. By the time we got there Embry was out of breath, but thanks to my midnight jogs I did pretty well. Embry's car was a black 1980 Toyota Corolla and I'd helped him do some work on the engine, which it had needed.

"Your dad is going to rip you up, Jake," he told me as we buckled up.

I rolled my eyes. "No he won't – just go."

"Does she have the tools and a spare?" Embry asked suddenly.

"Uh – should do. Unless she's removed 'em. Go, go!"

"Okay, okay." Embry laughed.

Just as we passed my driveway, as I'd suspected, Sam Uley was already there. He was shouting something after us, and I flipped him the bird when he gave us that peeved look of his. Dad would probably be pretty pissed off when I got back home, but all I could care about right now was Bella. It was worth it.

On the way I got that feeling again; the fireflies were back, and their buzzing got worse for each mile. We weren't far from the turn onto one-oh-one when I spotted Bella's truck, and Embry slowed down to pull over on the shoulder. As I got out, my heart instantly kicked into overdrive when Bella's door flew open. She poked her head out, her eyes wide. Oh man – so beautiful – my poor heart.

"Jacob?" she called out in question. "Jake!"

It was impossible not to smile. "Bella!"

I saw her stumble out of the truck, as I rounded the front of Embry's car. On her way across the road she tripped again, but she just laughed it off, and came up to me, sneaking her arms around my waist. She hugged me so hard I thought my heart would explode, and I wrapped my arms around her, then dipped my nose into her hair and inhaled deeply, feeling dizzy.

"Hey, Bells," I breathed into her hair. "S'pose you missed me, huh?"

She was nodding into my chest, and I was so sure my heart was going to bound right out of me. "Yes," she whispered, "very much."

I chuckled quietly, and she pulled back a little to look up at me. Her cheeks were pink and she had hair all over her face, which I tried to brush away.

"I crazy-missed you, honey," I told her, smiling so hard my cheeks hurt. It wasn't possible but she blushed more, and her own smile grew.

I couldn't keep myself from touching her face, and the buzzing in my stomach was insane as her soft, brown eyes held mine. _Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it!_ I shook my head, just smiling, while my thumbs stroked her cheeks and my fingers felt the soft skin on her neck. Then my eyes dropped to her lips – I was done for, and in a beat mine touched hers. My heart skipped unevenly, as I stood completely still, waiting for her reaction. When she leaned into me, and her soft, warm lips pressed into mine, my whole body burst with warmth; it was incredible. Then her lips moved against mine... hello! Mine followed, exploring hers a little, and it totally pulled me in. . . .

"Dude!" Embry protested. Bella froze – I was going to smack him, and pulled back, turning to give him a death-stare. He held his hands up, but kept his mouth closed. Good for him.

"Um, I'll get the jack out," Bella said quietly and slipped away from me before I could stop her.

"You're in it – deep," I warned him.

Embry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

We'd just gotten the truck jacked up, when someone spoke.

"Do you need a hand with that?" a weird, and way too smooth, male voice called out, and all three of us turned.

Down the road, pacing back and forth, while looking in our direction, was a guy. He was sickly pale, and looked kind of ill; the fact that he was wearing sunglasses on a gloomy day like this told me he was probably a junkie – the sun didn't even play peek-a-boo.

"We're cool. Thanks anyway," I replied evenly.

Where had he come from anyway?

"All right. Your call." He tilted his head, like he was listening to something, while he continued walking back and forth. Nah – he was stalking, like those big wildcats in tall grass, calculating their angle before pouncing.

I glanced at Embry, and I knew he felt it too. There was something not right here; I didn't know what, but my gut was telling me to get Bella out of here – now – and I wasn't one to ignore such things. So I grabbed Bella's hand, while giving Embry a pointed look, and led her toward the Corolla. Inwardly I was grateful she didn't protest or ask questions. She probably felt it too.

"Aw – where are you going?" the guy wondered in playful mockery. I was so not going to play games with a crackhead.

Embry had his door pulled open when the guy moved forward, like he was going to leap on Embry, but then he jerked to a halt, before turning to look behind him. Embry didn't waste any time, and dove into the drivers seat.

"Get in already!" he snapped.

I shoved Bella into the backseat, jumping in after her and slammed the door. "Go, go." I tapped Embry's seat impatiently, my eyes on the stranger. He turned his head and leered at us, but didn't do anything.

"Man, where the hell did he come from?" Embry sputtered, pushing the car way passed the speed limit.

"Bro, slow down," I told him calmly, even if my heart was racing.

"Are you okay?" Bella asked, and squeezed my hand.

"Huh – yeah, I'm good. I just had a really bad feeling."

Bella stiffened. "You don't think..." she trailed off, and I turned to look at her worried expression.

"What?"

"Well, they haven't found out who killed that girl from Hoquiam yet. I just – he looked sort of creepy."

I shrugged. "I wouldn't put it passed a junkie to kill someone, but he'd get his hands on a gun though... wasn't that girl like, mauled or something?"

"Um, yeah. But Charlie says that if it were a bear there should've been signs of struggle. That girl hadn't been um, putting up a fight."

"So she was drugged?" Embry asked, sounding clinically intrigued. There he went again. He needed to stop watching crime shows with his mom.

"I don't know – I didn't ask. She could have been, I guess," Bella said thoughtfully. "It definitely would explain why she didn't fight."

My stomach lurched. "That dude back there looked like a serious crackhead," I stated distractedly, then leaned back.

Bella pulled something out of her pocket.

"Bells – you're not going to get a signal here," I told her when I noticed she'd gotten her cell phone out.

"Oh – right," she said, frowning at the face, "I was going to call Charlie – they should check it out, shouldn't they? I mean, just in case."

I reached over her, grabbing her seat belt. "If you're worried about people's safety, buckle up first," I told her and winked.

"Thanks," Embry threw over his shoulder, "I know how to drive."

Bella sighed. "Ugh. Sorry, Embry, I should have realized – congrats on your license!"

He beamed. "Thanks, Bella."

"You're welcome." She grinned.

"I've still got six months left," I said unhappily. "The Rabbit will be finished long before then."

"Do you need a new project?" Bella poked me playfully.

"Hmm." I looked up, thoughtful, then grinned at her. "I'm sure I'll come up with something."

She watched her own fingers tracing my hand that had found hers, then she looked up suddenly, her eyes hesitant.

"Are you working this weekend?"

I smiled widely. "Nope." I let go of her hand and put my arm around her. "All yours."

"Please," Embry complained.

"Be quiet and drive," I told him, rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah."

I turned back to Bella. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I don't have any work either. So, I guess I'm all yours too then, huh?"

Embry whistled, making Bella's cheeks turn pink. I couldn't really smack him for it – I loved that color on her face.

When we got back to my house, Embry disappeared into the garage to see if Quil was still there. I'd completely forgotten about my dad, who came out of the house just as I was about to open my mouth.

"Jacob," was all he said, but with heavy authority, and I shook my head.

Bella gave me a questioning look.

"Just a minute," I told her, and walked up the ramp, noting the deep frown on dad's face.

Here we go.

I closed the door behind me, then folded my arms.

"Sit down, son," he said, and I rolled my eyes but sat down at the table. "Now," he began in a grave voice, "I know that you think that your old man is loopy, and I'm sorry I can't explain everything to you, Jacob. But I will not tolerate you taking off like that. I mean it. If you think about doing it again, consider yourself grounded."

I stared at him. Was he serious? I couldn't remember the last time I'd been grounded – I don't think I'd _ever _been. Whatever. I had to try pressuring him about Sam and his crew; it was beyond embarrassing now.

"What's the deal, dad? What's so special about Sam? And Hoskie hangs out with him now too, and Jared – _Paul Hoskie_, dad! Come _on_! Can't you see there's something fishy going on?"

He got that look on his face, telling me he was holding back on a ton of stuff, but for some reason he wouldn't tell me. It was starting to piss me off.

"Sam is a good kid, he's just had it rough," dad defended, and that was it. I'd had it.

"Good kid? Yeah? Geez, dad – I guess you haven't seen the way he looks at me. It isn't in a good 'hey, let's hang out' kind of way. I won't take off again, 'kay? But Sam's an ass and I don't want him babysitting me! Ground me right now if you're planning on forcing him on me again." I glared at him.

"Son."

"What?" I snapped.

"Don't judge Sam, you don't know-"

I shot up from the chair. "Because you won't freaking tell me, dad!"

"Sit down," he ordered in a calm voice.

"Sheez!" I slumped back down with a heavy sigh.

"I want to ask you something," he hedged, wary now, and my eyes narrowed in suspicion. This should be interesting, judging from the guilty expression on his face, "and only an honest answer, son – I'll know if you're lying to me."

I rolled my eyes and waited.

"How are you feeling?"

This was a joke! "I feel pretty good," I told him honestly. "Pissed off, but good."

Dad was skeptic. "You look tired, son," he pointed out in a serious tone.

"Maybe 'cause I am. I didn't sleep much last night."

"Well – okay then." He sighed, and looked tired himself. "That was all – no running off. Clear?"

"Crystal," I said and got up to escape.

I could appreciate that dad was worried about me, but that part didn't make me mad, it was the secrecy behind it. The cryptic meaning between the lines, which I couldn't make sense of. It wasn't getting any better, and I wasn't sure how much longer I'd be able to just leave the issue be. At some point dad was going to have to spill the beans. Normally I was fairly level headed, and I didn't get mad easily, but something about all this crap was rubbing me up the wrong way. Dad could embarrass me, and it would be a little annoying at times, but normally I just sulked about it. Lately it made me mad. _That_ part irritated the hell out of me, because I didn't like feeling this way. It sucked.

On my way to the garage I took a few deep breaths, trying to clear my nasty mood. I'd been dying for Bella to come back, and the last thing I wanted was to be a drag.

Quil was in the middle of an animated discussion with Embry, while Bella sat on a crate with her legs crossed, grinning.

"... and – bam! He was gone." Quil finished.

"Who?" I asked, walking over to the Rabbit to pull the door open and sit down on the passenger seat.

"Jared," Embry said. "Quil was-"

"Hey, I'm tellin' the story," Quil interrupted, and Embry rolled his eyes.

Bella was looking at me, and she had a little crease between her brows as she studied me. She dragged the crate over, then rested her arm over my legs before taking my hand.

"You okay, Jake?"

I smiled at her. "Yeah. I'm good."

One of her brows rose skeptically and I laughed. "I can see that," she allowed, not convinced, but she didn't push it. I didn't want to talk about it right now, and she could tell. How did I get so lucky?

"Bro, are you listening?"

"Huh? Yeah – go on."

Quil smirked, then he got into the story again, starting over for my benefit. He was hanging out with Jared's sister lately, and Jared wasn't too happy about it. Quil had been over to their place yesterday, and he and Amanda had played some game on the PlayStation. Quil being Quil decided he'd move a bit closer, I guess he was all into pushing his luck too, but it had backfired when Jared had come home. Apparently he'd flipped out, and told Quil to leave. Amanda got bent out of shape, and threw a tantrum, which in turn had pissed Jared off. Quil told us that he'd been so mad his hands were shaking, and next thing they knew he'd taken off. Amanda explained to Quil that her brother was going through a phase right now and he had been a bit temperamental lately.

"That's what he gets for hanging out with Hoskie," I told them. "Seriously. It was bound to happen."

"He's worse these days," Embry said, sounding glum. "Paul, I mean. Now he's angry all the time – I think it's Sam's fault. Man, I hate that guy."

A dull but still noticeable sound came from Quil. "Oh man."

Bella stiffened next to me.

"Geez, man. What the hell?"

"Sorry," he apologized casually.

"Dude, you could at least ask permission before you desecrate my garage," I told him, unimpressed.

"Never bothered you before!"

Embry stared at him. "Well, duh... it's a bit different now, isn't it?" he said, and gestured toward Bella who didn't know where to look.

Quil shrugged. "Better out than in, my dad always says."

I shook my head.

"Aw, c'mon." Quil rolled his eyes. "Man! Fine – sorry, Bella."

Bella gave a slight shrug. "Um, don't worry about it," she mumbled quietly.

"Oh yeah! Now there's a cool chick!"

"Okay, I'm out of here before you drop another one." I got up, holding my hand out to Bella who readily took it.

"I'm all outta ammo," Quil called after me.

"Yeah, I can smell it," Embry told him.

Bella and I were already out of the garage and on our way up to the house. She made a funny noise through her nose, like she was laughing, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry," she said, "but it was kind of funny. Gross, but funny."

"Uh huh." I smirked.

"I bet my being here changes a lot of things," she said almost apologetically, "I mean, with how you hang out and stuff."

I shrugged. "It's cool, Bells. They don't mind – Quil's just... well, Quil."

"Yeah, I get that. He's okay though... gases and all."

I busted out laughing, and she grinned at me.

The familiar rumble of Bella's truck made us look up and my smile was instantly wiped off my face. I think I went all rigid too, because Bella squeezed my hand, like she was trying to hold me back.

"You're not serious."

"Jake – he brought my truck back. It's okay."

Sam got out and came up to us, holding the keys out for her, and she took them, giving him a polite smile.

"Thanks," she said.

"No problem." His scrutiny was unnervingly intense.

"You can leave now," I told him flatly.

His jaw tensed. "Don't pull that again," he warned me, and I stepped toward him; soon he wouldn't be too big for me to take on – where the hell did that come from? Suddenly I didn't feel so small. I was a kid but when he stared me down like this I didn't feel like one.

"Don't come around here, and I won't," I replied.

"Jake," Bella whispered.

Sam's eyes narrowed, then shifted to Bella. "Bella," he said, "I want to talk to Jacob for a bit. Alone."

I stared at him.

"Um, okay," she said quietly, and I tightened my grip on her hand when she started pulling away. I looked down at her concerned face.

"Bells, you don't have to go anywhere, okay?" I turned back to Sam. "Who do you think you are?" I fired at him.

Bella tried to withdraw her hand. "It's okay, Jake, just – please don't fight."

"I'm not fighting, I'm just wondering where this guy gets off," I told her.

"Let her go, Jacob. We need to talk. It'll just take a minute."

"We nothing," I snapped. "You don't tell me what to do."

"Please," Bella whispered pleadingly.

I took a deep breath and released her hand, glaring at Sam. "You've got one minute, then I want you off my dad's land, got it?"

"You got it," he agreed.

From the corner of my eye I saw Bella hurrying into my house. This guy was pushing all my buttons. It was going to come to a head if he didn't knock it off.

"Talk," I demanded.

"Your dad asked me to talk to you," he started and I scoffed.

"Don't involve my dad in this. Spit it out, then leave."

This should be interesting.

"How's the pains?" he asked, taking me by surprise. "And the creeping in your bones – how about the hotflashes? You've got those too, don't you?"

What did he know about that? I'd only told Quil and Embry.

I eyed him, squinting suspiciously. "What's it to you?"

"Do you have them?" he pressed, ignoring my question.

"You just told me I did, so why do you ask all of a sudden?"

Sam's eyes tightened. "I'm not here to play games with you, Jacob. I'm serious."

"So am I."

What was it with this guy that got me acting like this? The sooner he talked the better, I didn't want to fight with him, even if some part of me couldn't help but feel challenged. It was just dumb.

"I want to warn you, give you what I didn't get: a heads up. At some point you're going to get pissed off, way worse than you are right now. It's going to consume you. The fury will change you into something you already know about – you remember the legends, don't you, Jacob?"

I rolled my eyes, groaning in frustration. "_Please_. What are you trying to do?" I mocked. "Think you can scare me with all that vampire crap? I'm too old to be intimidated by scary stories, Sam."

"The legends are real, Jacob. I'm trying to help you."

"If you want to help, then get the hell off our land!" I threatened, stepping closer. It was taking me a bit off guard how stupid I was acting. Sure, I was catching up to him, but he was a _lot_ beefier than I was. _Soon_, though.

Sam looked peeved now, and his eyes were getting darker. "I understand that you can't believe it, but know this: we're here. We're waiting. You won't be alone."

"That sounds an awful lot like a threat more than a comfort," I spat. "Just take off, will you? And stop hounding my dad, he doesn't need your crap!"

Sam was getting agitated, I recognized the look on his face, like he wanted to punch my lights out. The feeling is mutual, asshole.

"I've got my eye on you," he told me in a strained voice, before backing off.

"Yeah? Take it, and shove it up your ass!" I turned quickly and walked away before I threw the punch I was holding back on. It's like he _wanted_ me to snap. The guy was obviously just hankering for a fight. Well, I wasn't going to give it to him. No wonder Paul had bigger anger-issues these days. Embry was right: this was definitely Sam's fault.

When I came in through the kitchen, dad watched me over his newspaper, and I knew it was just a prop because the international section didn't interest him. I just rolled my eyes at him and continued for the living room where Bella sat, curled up against the armrest on the sofa, her chin resting in her hand, and her eyes glued to the TV.

"Hey," she said and glanced over at me where I slumped down on the sofa.

"Hey," I said back, giving her a wry smile. "Sorry 'bout that."

She shifted, and came to rest her head against my shoulder while curling into my side. "It's fine, Jake," she assured me, "are you okay?"

I took a look to see if dad was eavesdropping, then, convinced he wasn't, shrugged. "I'll be okay. Sam just," I took a deep breath, "annoys me," I finished with a sigh. "I bet he's trying to make me mad. Not that I know why, and not that I think he needs a reason. He's just – a jerk."

Bella tilted her head to look at me. "What did he want?"

"Tell me he's keeping an eye on me," I told her ominously, shaking my head. "He tried to scare me with all that vampire and wolf stuff – man, it's so stupid."

Her brows pulled together. "Why's he keeping an eye on you?" she wondered, puzzled.

"I seriously don't know; he's been eyeballing me since January, and it's getting worse..." I sneaked my arm around her, and squeezed her a little.

Bella pulled her knees up, still looking at me. "You don't think he's trying to get you to join his gang, do you?"

I laughed mockingly. "Yeah, he can try, but – nah. Don't worry about that," I reassured her.

She was quiet for a long while, then she straightened up, her face determined. "Think about it," she started quietly, but in a serious way. "Paul and Jared were probably as big as you are now, back at that bonfire, remember? Well, what if he's um, like... recruiting all these big, tough guys for his gang? Jake, you're getting really big – and I mean, _really_ big. Maybe he wants you to join him, and he's trying to get to you?"

"Big, tough guys, huh?" I teased with a smirk, winking at her.

Bella blushed but smacked my shoulder. "Jake," she sighed, and I chuckled.

"Are you saying I'm a tough guy?" I grinned widely.

"Ugh." She rolled her eyes. "I'm not talking to you if you don't take me seriously," she said, pouting, and I reached up to rub the area between her brows.

"You take it seriously enough for the both of us," I told her, smiling.

She just looked at me. "Thanks so much." She sat back a little, hugging her knees.

"Aw – don't be like that." I scooted after her and threw my arm around her shoulders. "I'm not joining a gang, okay? Don't worry about it."

"You looked really upset, of course I worry," she said, but I barely heard her, totally distracted all of a sudden. I had the clearest view straight down Bella's shirt.

Duh. . . .

"Jake – are you listening?"

"Uh... huh? Oh. Sure, sure."

She turned her head and looked up at me. I gave her a sheepish grin, which made her raise a brow. "I asked you something..." Her eyes were expectant.

Uh.

"Yeah...?"

"I asked: have you eaten yet? I could cook something," she suggested.

I wanted to smack myself.

"Nope. Haven't eaten – let's go to the store and pick something up," I suggested quickly, trying not to peek again – fail. Snoopy was on her bra!

On the way to the store, a couple of messages slipped through the all but non-existent cell network; it was Jessica, and she was annoyed that Bella hadn't answered her. There would be a carnival in Port Angeles this coming weekend, and she wanted us to go with her and company. Dad would be paranoid about it, I just knew it. Did he expect me to be stuck on the reservation all the time? It annoyed the hell out of me that we rarely made it up to Forks, even if Bella was happy coming down to La Push. It just sucked that she had to do all the driving around. I hoped dad would be over it by the time I got my license, because I wanted to do my part, and I still wanted to take her on a date. Worst case scenario: I'd have to accept a grounding; dad wasn't going to stop me from taking my girl to a movie.

As soon as we got back from the store we got started on dinner. While Bella worked with the shallots and arranged the chicken fillets, I sliced the apples. We were making apple and thyme chicken; she was always into trying these new recipes, and I didn't mind at all. With Bella it was fun to do this stuff.

"This is definitely safer than onions," I told her, and she grinned up at me. I hadn't forgotten how much it hurt to get the fumes in my eyes.

"You're higher up now, I think you might be in the clear."

"Unlike you – ground zero and all," I teased.

She smacked my arm, and I laughed. Of course, she was correct. I _was_ up higher, which wasn't _that_ bad, when I really thought about it. The things I could see from up here were pretty nice.

Then again... it was hazardous to not pay attention when handling a knife.

"Ow! Oh man – ouch! Damn it!" I dropped the knife and shook my hand.

"Jake!" Bella's hands grabbed a hold of mine. "Oh no." She turned, her eyes darting around the kitchen. "Do you have like um, band-aids somewhere?"

I snatched up the kitchen towel and wrapped it around my fingers. "There."

She shook her head. "You've got to clean it, Jake – seriously, did it cut deep?"

"Nah, I don't think so."

"Let me look," she demanded and took a deep breath before taking my hand.

"Bells, it's okay. It's nothing. I can handle it."

She ignored me and started unwrapping the towel, and I watched the look of sheer determination on her face. Blood made her sick, but she was so stubborn. Man I loved her.

"Look, this needs to be cleaned," she accused.

I shook my head and smiled. "You're cute," I told her, and she rolled her eyes before pulling me toward the sink to turn the tap on. When she put my finger under the water, I flinched. Okay, so that didn't feel so great. I tried to focus on her face instead, but ended up lower. Nice. I could get used to this. Hey! If I grabbed that towel on the bench I could _accidentally_ sneak in a little touch. ...Duh. My brain wasn't functioning properly. But I still wanted to touch.

"Jake," Bella said in a weird way, and I unglued my eyes.

Uh oh. She was looking at me. Busted.

"What's up?" I asked casually, and noticed her cheeks were pink. Aw man. This wasn't fair.

"What um... are you doing?"

Think quick. Diversion. Anything.

I leaned in and kissed her, and she froze. Maybe not the best move... o-kay! Her lips moved, and she was definitely kissing me back, so I moved my free hand to the back of her neck, and got my fingers tangled up in her hair. The buzzing in my stomach made me warm all over, and my heart went a bit crazy. I starting getting a little dizzy and decided to pull back a little, while looking at her in awe.

"Is this okay?" I asked, breathless.

Bella nodded, then she put her lips on mine again, and stepped closer. I swear the fireflies just electrocuted me, and it did things to my body. Nice, but also sort of embarrassing things. . . .

No. Not now. Go away!

I ignored it as best I could, and tried to find the will to end the kiss, to get physical distance, but her lips were too soft, too enthusiastic and it was just too nice all around. Until finally, Bella pulled back, her face pink, and she sucked in a shaky breath. I thought she was going to say something – her lips moved, like she was about to – but instead she just stared at me, looking a bit dazed.

"Yeah," I whispered, and touched my lips to hers quickly before dropping my hand to wrap my arm around her. Her hand was still around mine and I looked down at my finger. It wasn't bleeding anymore, so I dared to put my other arm around her.

"Jake?" she said after a few moments.

"Yeah?" I mumbled into her hair distractedly, rubbing my nose over the soft strands. Man, her hair was amazing.

"You were looking down my shirt before, weren't you?"

I stiffened. _So_ busted.

"Uh... I s'pose I was – am I in trouble now?" I asked, worried.

There was a brief silence, and I think I was possibly freaking out a bit.

"Um, _maybe_," she said finally.

Uh oh. "I'm uh... sorry, Bells – I just-" She was shaking. Crap! Was she crying? I pulled back quickly, looking down at her carefully. She was... _laughing_ at me! "Geez!"

"Sorry," she sputtered, chortling. "Your face."

"Oh yeah? You think that's funny do you?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Well," she said, regaining her composure. "Yes."

I smirked. "Uh huh." Demonstratively I let my eyes drop to her chest, then back to her eyes, winking. Instantly I earned myself a smack, and her cheeks turned pink. I chuckled.

"Ugh!"

"At least I'm not groping you, honey," I pointed out.

Her eyes widened, and her whole face burst into color. "Jacob Black!" she gasped.

I laughed. "Aw, Bells – c'mon. I wouldn't do that. I was just saying, y'know?"

"So – you _don't_ want to?" she challenged and pulled back, folding her arms across her chest, which made me look at them again. "Jake!"

"Huh? Oh. Uh..." Man. Was it getting hot in here?

"Well...?"

I swallowed. "Eh... I guess," I shrugged, giving her half a grin.

"Huh." She studied me, then she turned back to the chicken. "Guess we'll find out how that works out for you, won't we?"

I sputtered. _Huh?_

The apples were definitely _very_ interesting suddenly, and I took _great_ care slicing them.

**o~*iii*~o**


End file.
